Flying Embers
by Liselle129
Summary: I've decided to make this a collection of third season missing and possibly alternate scenes. Some may be related, but most will be independent. Mostly Kataang. Ch 19: Hold Me in Your Arms. Based on Brad Paisley's song with the same title.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. Which is now over.sigh

Author's Note: I had this idea between The Ember Island Players and the finale, and I cried while composing it in my head, so I figured it had to be a good one. And with the way the series ended, it actually fits in.

I know we're all happy it ended up Kataang, but didn't it seem awfully abrupt? Was it too much to ask for a little dialogue? I mean, last we saw, Katara was shutting Aang down, then at the end, they're standing together like a married couple. Obviously, there was a lot we missed. This is my first attempt to fill in the blanks, but I'm sure there will be others.

Regret

"What did you do to Aang?" Zuko demanded, startling Katara.

"I didn't do anything," she responded.

"Well, maybe you _need_ to do something."

"Why? What's the matter?"

"He's depressed and can hardly firebend," Zuko answered fiercely. "It's like he's having trouble finding the source of life inside him."

Katara felt herself getting angry. How could she have had anything to do with that? Besides, her relationship with Aang was none of Zuko's business. On the other hand, if what had passed between them during the play last night had affected Aang's firebending, she felt she had to give an answer.

"Look, he asked about our relationship, and I told him I was confused," she admitted grudgingly. "That's it!" A heavy silence followed this, and Katara turned to look at Zuko expectantly, her brow furrowed.

"You said what?" said Zuko finally, his tone low and ominous.

"What's wrong with that?" Katara was really confused now.

"To a guy, that's like…well, you might as well have driven one of your ice daggers through his heart. It would have been kinder."

Katara recoiled, struck by the violence of the metaphor.

"I don't understand. I was just trying to be honest with him."

"But you weren't, were you?" Zuko challenged her. He was looking at her in a way that was decidedly un-Zuko-ish, although she couldn't put her finger on what was wrong. "Not really. He wanted a definite answer, and you just gave him more uncertainty. Don't you know anything at all about men?"

"Well, excuse me for spending puberty in a village full of women and children!" she exclaimed, whirling on him in a mixture of anger and remorse. "I seem to remember that being the fault of your people."

"Tell him the truth…" Zuko advised as both his face and voice faded away.

Katara awoke in her room on Ember Island with tears in her eyes. It had only been a dream, but her conscience told her there had been a lot of truth to it. If it was possible she'd hurt Aang as much as the dream implied, she needed to do something about it. It was still late night – or early morning, depending on how you looked at it – but she didn't expect she'd go back to sleep until she made an attempt to rectify things with Aang.

She padded to his room and tapped softly. There was no response, so she pushed the door open. Aang wasn't there. His bed didn't even look slept in. She moved to the front door and saw him perched precariously on the porch railing. She just stood there for a few breaths, looking at the way the skin of his head and torso glowed in the moonlight. Her eyes rested on the ugly scar marring his back, the symbol of all her fears. She took a deep, steadying breath.

A board under her foot creaked when she stepped toward him, and his head turned. Once he'd recognized her, he returned his face to the moon.

"Hey, Katara. What are you doing up?"

Katara could have asked him the same question, but she didn't want to get sidetracked. Besides, she could guess why he couldn't sleep.

"I had trouble sleeping," she confessed. "I…hated the way we left things last night."

"Well, don't worry. I'm not going to make _that _mistake again," he promised, and the edge of bitterness in his voice tore at her.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I shouldn't have reacted that way, and I didn't really answer any of your questions. I owe you that."

"You don't owe me anything," he protested.

"Yes, I do. I think I may have accidentally misled you. I'm not confused about my feelings for you."

"You're not?" At last, he turned his head back toward her, curious but with wariness in his eyes. Katara hated that she'd made him distrust her in anything.

"No. The truth is, I love you."

"Right, like a brother," he recited flatly, eyes downcast.

"No!" Katara exclaimed, sighing with exasperation. He wasn't going to make this easy for her, but she'd brought it on herself. "Aang, I'm IN love with you, hopelessly, but I'm not sure what to do about it. I guess I'm not so much confused as…scared."

Aang's gaze had returned to her during this speech, but now he was the one who looked confused.

"Of what?" Then, in a smaller voice: "Me?"

"Of course not!" Katara laid a hand on his shoulder looked straight into his eyes. "I'm afraid of losing you again." She turned to grip the rail with both hands, staring out at the ocean. "You don't know what it was like, watching you…die." She had to force herself to say the word. It was something she'd never really dealt with, but maybe it was time.

"You haven't seemed to want to talk about that day," said Aang gently.

"I didn't. I still don't. But…I think I need to. I think you need to hear it." Katara took a deep breath before reluctantly immersing herself in the painful memory. "A lot of it is hazy to me, like a nightmare you'd rather forget. One image is burned into my mind, though – the moment the lightning struck you. I saw it go into your back, and you arched as the energy surged through your body." She shuddered, and a single tear spilled out of each of her eyes as she recalled her grief. "It was horrible. After that, everything that had been green turned red, and I…think I went into some sort of trance. Zuko tells me I did some really impressive waterbending, but I don't really remember. The only thing I know was that I had to get you to safety, and I vaguely heard Iroh telling me he'd hold them off. I didn't come back to myself until we were on Appa's back. I'm not even sure how we got there."

She fell silent and realized that her nails were digging into the wood. She concentrated on her hands, making them loosen their grip.

"I'm sorry, Katara." Now it was Aang's hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to see that." Katara nodded acknowledgement, swallowing hard.

"The point is, I don't think I could survive another loss like that. I think I used the time you were unconscious to sort of…withdraw back into myself. I've been afraid of giving myself up to the way I feel for you. I guess I wanted to have something left if…you don't make it." She paused, thinking back over what she'd just said. "Ugh, it sounds really selfish when I say it like that, doesn't it?"

"Not really. We all want to survive," Aang assured her. He got a distant look in his eyes for a moment, and Katara wondered if they were still talking about her. Then, he sighed. "Maybe I should have learned better how to protect my heart."

"No!" Katara exclaimed. "I want you to be exactly the way you are. This is my weakness, and I'm glad you don't share it." She closed her eyes, upset with herself for not being able to take that next step toward him, the one she'd been dreaming about for months but was now too afraid to face.

Aang kissed one of the salty trails running down her cheeks. It was a heartbreakingly tender gesture, and Katara finally understood how Aang must have felt all the times she'd kissed him like that.

"I've always loved you, Katara, and I always will," he whispered, his breath warm and moist against her skin. Finally hearing him speak the words sent a shiver through her, and her entire world seemed to waver. Young as he was, she knew he meant every word. "I'll give you all the time and space you need," he added. Then, like an errant breeze, he was gone.

His utter sweetness broke Katara entirely, and she began sobbing in earnest. A distant, clinical part of her mind accused her of making that over-actor's portrayal of her somewhat accurate, after all, but most of her was too distraught to care. She wondered what marvelous twist of fate had placed such a person in her path, and what perversity in her own nature had caused her to throw him away.

By the time she'd cried herself out and the moon had disappeared, one thing was abundantly clear: she didn't deserve Aang.

It was something she would have to work on.

--

Author's Note: Zuko's part in the dream was inspired by my husband, who told me that telling a guy you're confused is the equivalent of saying "Take a hike." I'm sure Katara didn't see it that way, but she needed to realize what she'd done. Those of you following my writing already know that the conversation in Ember Island Players ticked me off. It finished just as uncertain about their relationship as it began, so why bother including it at all? I was also annoyed by the way they re-cut the kiss scene from DoBS to make it look like Katara was conflicted about it.


	2. Chapter 2: Reuniting

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. But I do seem to own more good Kataang scenes in the third season than the creators.

Author's Note: I want to thank everyone for your response to Regret. I'm now making this a series of oneshots, but I'm not going to write answers to Regret reviews this chapter. Sorry about that, but there were a lot of them, and I just want to get this posted. Besides, I've written some of you privately already. This is a short, post-battle scene.

**Reuniting**

Aang rode back to the Fire Nation on the lizard with the others. It was a novel way of traveling, and he probably would have enjoyed it if he weren't so physically and emotionally drained. It was not as exhilarating as the elephant koi, but not as sedate as Appa, either.

Sokka was alternately gushing about the battle and whining about his broken leg for a lot of the journey, but Aang only listened with half an ear. He definitely didn't feel like talking. Mostly what he wanted was a hot bath and a long rest. He felt like he hadn't had a good night's sleep in weeks.

When they arrived, he tried to help Sokka down off the creature's back, but Suki and Toph shouldered Aang out of the way, handling the task themselves. Therefore, Aang took charge of the former Firelord, hauling him down and handing him off to some earthbenders he recognized from the invasion. They must have been released from a nearby prison and come down to greet them. They looked surprised, and Aang couldn't blame them.

"He shouldn't be a danger to anyone," he said simply, unwilling to explain just now. "But I still think you should lock him up."

The journey up to the capital city seemed to take forever, even with earthbending to shuttle them along. At last, they reached the courtyard in front of the palace. Katara came tearing out the door. Aang was relieved to see that she appeared unharmed, although her hair was tousled and flying loose. Without slackening her pace at all, she threw herself at Aang, squeezing him so tightly he found it hard to breathe.

"You did it, Aang!" she exclaimed. "You did it! I knew you would!" Then, without any warning, she kissed him with all the passion he could ever have dreamed about. When they finally pulled apart, breathlessly, he wanted to ask if now was the right time, but Sokka interrupted.

"Sure, just ignore your injured brother," his voice said from off to the side. Katara turned in his direction and gasped as she saw him sitting on the ground and holding his leg. She rushed to kneel beside him, but Aang's eyes met Sokka's over her head. The Avatar saw the acceptance and possibly even approval from his best friend and smiled weakly.

"What happened?" Katara demanded.

"Nothing much. Just fell off of an airship," shrugged Sokka.

While Katara tended to him, Aang slipped away. Soon enough would come all of the social occasions, and he needed some time alone while he could still get it. Besides, now that Katara had let him know that she did, in fact, view him romantically, he needed nothing more to convince him that everything would be all right.

--

Author's Note: Based on the events in Ember Island Players, Katara would literally have had to throw herself at Aang like this to convince him to pursue her again. I don't know a guy in the world who would have made any further advances after such a shut-down without a painfully clear signal.


	3. Chapter 3: Before the Coronation

Disclaimer: No, I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. If I did, Katara and Aang would have been mauling each other pretty much throughout the entire third season. Have you read Destiny's Call?:)

Author's Note: Well, Mai and Zuko got a moment here, so why not Aang and Katara? This was originally part of Reuniting, but I felt it was getting too long and drawn out, so I decided to split the scenes up. It still took me a surprisingly long time to finish it.

**Before the Coronation**

Katara put the finishing touch onto Aang, a beaded necklace that she placed carefully over his head, arranging it just so across his chest. They'd found both the necklace and the monk's robes perfectly preserved in a room beneath the palace, trophies of Firelord Sozin. Now they were back in their rightful place, on a master airbender.

"I can't believe you've managed to destroy three outfits in less than a year," Katara commented with an indulgent smile.

"Technically, I only destroyed two," Aang objected. "The school uniform is still mostly intact." Katara backed away to evaluate her handiwork.

"You look so…" she said.

"Overdone?" offered Aang.

"I was going to say grown up," Katara finished. She paused, licking her lips. Preparing him for the coronation ceremony wasn't the only reason she'd contrived to get them alone together. She had so much to say, and she was trying to figure out how to say it with the few minutes they had. "Aang, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry!"

"For what?"

"That night at the theatre. I was such an idiot."

"You were? I thought that was me." His brow was furrowed with confusion.

"I lied," she confessed. She began to pace as she spoke. "The truth is that I love you. I have for…well, I don't know how long, exactly, but I think I realized it when we crossed Serpent's Pass. When you weren't talking to me, not letting yourself feel anything, it hurt so much…I felt like part of me was missing. But afterward, I kept putting off telling you. I thought you had more important things to worry about. And then you almost died, and things seemed to keep getting more complicated. That night, when you asked me how I felt about you…I should at least have told you you're not a brother to me. I was stupid not to."

"You must have had your reasons," said Aang quietly, and Katara risked looking at him. He was gazing at her patiently, waiting for her to finish what she had to say, but there was a new light in his eyes, one she hadn't seen since just before he'd kissed her during the invasion. Heartened, she went on.

"I told myself that I didn't want to distract you," she explained. "I thought you needed to focus on what you had to do. But the truth is, I was scared."

"Scared?"

"The way I feel about you – I've never felt like this before. It's…frightening how much of me is wrapped up in you now. And I've lost so many people I loved. First, my mother died. Then my father left me three separate times. I almost lost you at Ba Sing Se, and after you woke up, you ran away." Katara hesitated again, collecting herself. Aang had left at other times, too, but most had been because he needed to. He looked like he wanted to say something, but she plowed ahead before he could speak. "I guess most people with a history like mine would learn to take every moment they could, but it seems to have had the opposite effect on me. I'm afraid to try to hold onto love because it might slip through my fingers, like water." Katara fell silent, finally running out of words. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked down, trying furiously to blink them away. If Aang hadn't made it through that final battle, she didn't know if she could ever have forgiven herself for not telling him what he meant to her. She was glad she wouldn't have to find out.

"You know, water only slipped through your fingers until you learned to control it," he pointed out. Curious where he was going with that observation, she looked up to meet his earnest gaze.

"What are you saying? That I should become an emotion bender?"

"Something like that," Aang smiled encouragingly. "I think in this case, though, you just need to learn to understand your feelings and accept them."

"That's not as easy as it sounds," she said with a heavy sigh.

"Don't you think I know that? After losing Appa, I tried to run away from my feelings. You helped to convince me that was the wrong path."

Katara had always thought the new baby had done that, but this didn't seem the right time to split hairs.

"Can you forgive me?" she pressed. "For not telling you the truth when you asked?"

"You know I'm all about forgiveness, Katara," he replied, and she could see in his eyes that she really had been forgiven. Then, his expression grew very serious. "It was you, you know."

"What was?"

"That helped me defeat Ozai."

"How is that possible?" It was now Katara's turn to be confused. "I wasn't even there."

"You're always with me, here," he replied softly as he placed one hand on his heart. He paused, taking a deep breath and letting it out again. "I haven't explained to anyone how I took his bending away, but I want to tell you. It has to do with the transfer of energies. I had to pour my energy into him to work my will. Naturally, he fought it, trying to take me over instead. The lion-turtle told me I'd be destroyed if my soul wasn't – how'd he put it? – incorruptible. That was how you helped."

"Me?" Katara squeaked, knowing it was inadequate but feeling the need to say _something. _Aang nodded solemnly.

"It was closer than I like to think about," he admitted. "With that much evil in a person…it was hard. But just when his power was closing in on me, when I thought I was lost, I thought about you. I formed an image in my mind of you waterbending, and I remembered how much I loved you."

"You did?" Her voice was barely a whisper, and the intensity in both Aang's story and expression were making it difficult for her to breathe.

"Love was something Ozai couldn't understand. It confused him, and he lost his advantage. That's how I won." He stopped, looking at her expectantly.

"Aang, that's…even after I…I was so horrible to you!" Katara blurted out. She was completely awed by what he was telling her and had no idea how to respond.

"Katara, I've loved you since the day we met," he confessed. "That wasn't going to go away overnight." Words completely failed Katara, and there was only one way she could think of to express how she felt. She closed the short distance between them, twined her arms around his neck, and kissed him soundly. He seemed startled, but only for a second, after which he responded enthusiastically, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. For the first time, Katara allowed all of her repressed feelings to show through this single demonstration. By the time they separated, she thought she knew what emotion bending was.

"I'm really glad it didn't," she said breathlessly, and she meant it. She could have lost what meant the most to her through her own shortsightedness. There seemed to be no more to say between them, and they both had things to do, so she reluctantly disengaged from their embrace. "I'd better go find Sokka. We're hoping Dad will make it for this."

Aang murmured that he had to meet Zuko for the coronation, but they exchanged one last look, both finally knowing that they would have the opportunity for many more moments like this one. Katara glided outside, feeling like Aang had somehow shared his airbending ability with her. There was no way she was touching the ground.

--

Author's Note: Come on, we all know that's how it worked, even if the show didn't tell us. This was a lot longer than the last, but I like to think it all got said some way or another. And I agree with Katsumara that Katara didn't _have_ to beg forgiveness for her treatment of Aang, but I really think she _should _have.

Review responses: I'm going to resume this, but I hope you all understand if I just start with the last chapter. However, thank you to airnaruto45, avatar209, Avatar Wolf, Aangsfan, Kyoshi7989, DuHSPaZZiNGFeL, pinguinolatino, SilvrImage, Luv2Game, Naru-chan, Jeni27, GeorgiaPeaches, nutshak, Loupami, snowman794, Argorok34, shiro-wolfman-k, james612, Marisol Maza, and Shuisha for reviewing Regret.

Unheard Legacy: I didn't say he would stop pining for her, only that she'd effectively put him in a position where he couldn't do anything more (unless he were a total jerk, which we know he's not) without her telling him, in no uncertain terms, that it was all right. That's the part we missed.

DuHSPaZZiNGFeL: I know exactly what you mean. That last scene I wrote would have taken, what, 15 seconds? I think they could have found time for that.

avatar209: That was exactly my thought.

nutshak: Thank you. I don't plan to stop writing anytime soon.

Vegeta the 3rd: Considering how much of the third season was total filler, it bothered me overall that they didn't take the time to develop Aang and Katara's relationship more fully. I would have much preferred for the lion-turtle bit to happen instead of Nightmares & Daydreams, which would have left more shipping time available in the finale.

Katsumara: I'm basing my evaluation on my husband's, who said that if you tell a guy who's never been in a relationship that you are confused and don't know what you feel, he's going to take it as a rejection. Men tend to see things in black and white rather than varying shades of gray. I can't believe she wouldn't even admit she doesn't see him like a brother! For me, that would have been automatic.

BlackRose108: Glad to have you here, as always. You mean all 4 or so of the Kataang moments this season, LOL? Mostly I'm going to be adding ones that weren't there but should have been.


	4. Chapter 4: Life or Death

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: This one's a little different. I originally got the vague idea for it right after watching The Southern Raiders, and it picks up right after that leaves off. I've included Zuko's question in italics just to set it up.

**Life or Death**

_Then I have to ask you…what are you going to do when you face my father?_

Aang hesitated. It was a difficult question, and it deserved a serious, thoughtful answer.

"I don't want to kill him, Zuko," he said finally. "I don't want to kill anyone."

"But you will?" Zuko pressed. Aang sighed and turned around, taking Katara's previous seat on the dock. It might have been only his imagination, but he thought he felt the remnants of her body heat still clinging to the boards. Real or not, he found it oddly comforting.

"I don't know," Aang admitted.

"Look, don't worry about me. I accepted what might happen when I decided to leave."

"It's not that." Aang paused, trying to figure out how to say what he was thinking. "I've never actually used bending – or anything else – to try to kill anyone. The monks always taught that all life was sacred. That's why I don't even eat meat." After a pause, Zuko came to sit beside him.

"I know you just said violence is never the answer, but how else are you going to stop someone who lives by it?" asked Zuko quietly.

"It didn't come up in my training," Aang returned dryly. Certainly, he'd sometimes wondered if his people could have been overcome the way they were if they'd had a more militant presence in the world. However, it was no use worrying about that now, and he fondly remembered them as they were.

"You fought me pretty fiercely sometimes," Zuko pointed out.

"Mostly, I defended myself. If I had other people to protect, I guess I was more aggressive."

"Well, now you have an entire world to protect."

"I know that!" Aang shot back sharply. With an effort, he calmed himself. "If there were any other way…you know him better than I do. Is there any chance I could convince him that what he's trying to do is a bad idea?" Zuko gave a humorless chuckle.

"No way," he said emphatically. "He tried to kill me when I told him what was really going on in the world, how no one else wanted the Fire Nation to rule them. You can't reason with him. He wants to rule the world, and he'll destroy anything that stands in his way. That includes you."

Aang nodded sadly. From what Avatar Roku had shown him of Firelord Sozin, he hadn't really expected any other answer, but it was still disappointing. Furthermore, knowing that Ozai wouldn't hesitate to kill Aang if he had the chance didn't make it any easier to consider doing the same to him.

"I'll do what I have to, to end this war," he promised finally, standing up while Zuko stayed where he was. Privately, Aang was intending to hope as long as possible that another solution could be found, but he had a feeling that Zuko wouldn't accept that.

When he turned around, Aang saw Katara standing at the beginning of the dock, shifting from foot to foot and pulling her hair nervously.

"Is something wrong?" Aang asked as he approached.

"No…yes…not exactly," she shook her head. "I just realized that I forgot something earlier, but you and Zuko seemed to be involved in an important conversation, so I didn't want to interrupt."

"It's done now. What did you forget?"

"This." Katara hugged him and whispered in his ear. "Thank you for your good advice. You were right."

"No problem," he murmured, taking the opportunity to breathe in the sweet scent of her hair. He didn't think they'd been this close together since the eclipse.

Katara withdrew again, giving him a smile as she left. Aang smiled back and decided to go to bed. He was glad that he'd helped her, but he fervently wished that he could find equally good advice for himself.

--

Author's Note: While I was at it, I thought I would also fix the fact that Katara didn't really acknowledge whether Aang had any part in her decision not to take revenge after all. Apparently, her failure to touch him after The Day of Black Sun was supposed to convey her confusion about him. Question, though: how does a guy kissing you make you confused when you've been hugging and kissing him frequently for months? Was this really a surprise?

Review responses:

Vanille Strawberry: It actually would have been closer to 3 minutes, which is still a lot in the scope of a 90-minute movie, but you'd think they could have worked it in somewhere.

Jeni27: Nah, it doesn't make you a bad person, just a reasonable one. My husband finally saw EIP, and we discussed how Aang and Katara weren't even acting like a real boy and girl, let alone like their specific characters.

ilovekataang: Thank you very much! You really can't remember things from the show already? Well, I have young sons who want to watch the episodes over and over.

Ocaj: I tried writing the last one so that it would work whether Regret happened or not, but that was pretty hard, so I mostly intended it to stand on its own. It just seemed natural that Aang would think of Katara if he thought he was going to die, and that being the key to winning was just a bonus.

DuHSPaZZiNGFeL: Great review! I always like to hear that someone wanted to both laugh and cry during one of my stories. I enjoy playing with extremes.

avatar209: Yeah, I wish we'd seen more of that mature Aang after The Day of Black Sun.

dizzy – in – the – izzy: I'm glad you agree with me. Writing these scenes helps me to let go of my frustrations at the unsatisfying conclusion to the series, and I hope reading them can help others.

Loupami: Just a small detail about the robes, but I wanted to bring it in. It seemed like it was only a day or so before the coronation, so I thought about the most logical place for Aang to get his new outfit. It will play a key role in the next chapter, as well.

IceFire9: Yeah, one of my reactions after EIP was to think that I suddenly understood why some people say they don't like Katara. Still, they were both really out of character there.

maxie2008: Yes, I appreciated them kissing at the end, but it still left a lot of questions unanswered.

Katsumara: One would certainly hope that Aang and Katara had some time to talk in the two months between the coronation and the final scene (this time lapse is apparently made clear in the book), and they definitely looked…comfortable with each other during the makeout.


	5. Chapter 5: Layers

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Unlike many people, I was actually not enamored over Aang's new clothing. This is what I thought about after seeing it. The story picks up right after the end of the finale, and no, it has nothing to do with ogres.;)

**Layers**

After finally breaking from their kiss, Katara and Aang stood together for a while longer, arms around each other as though reluctant to lose contact. They looked out at the city that was sort of a metaphor for the peaceful world they'd helped to bring about. There were still going to be challenges, of course, but at least for this moment, everything seemed to be in balance, including their relationship.

She spared a glance over her shoulder, wondering how long it would be before someone noticed they were gone. So far, only Momo had sought them out, and he was now seated comfortably on Aang's shoulder.

Katara turned her attention to Aang once more, studying him from head to toe. He almost seemed buried under his new robes, and the clothing definitely didn't seem the kind that he could throw off at a moment's notice if he took a notion to go swimming. She felt her mouth stretch into a smile as she remembered all the times he'd done just that, even when the weather was almost freezing. Maybe these new robes were a mark of his maturity, a signal that he was going to plan and think things through more than he used to.

Feeling her gaze, Aang turned curiously toward her.

"What?" he demanded. "Do I have something on my face?" Katara giggled, thinking how similar this was to his confusion a year earlier when everyone at the South Pole had stared at him.

"No, I was just thinking that you're covered by so many layers now," she mused. "I'm wondering if I'll ever see your skin again." Suddenly realizing what she'd just said, Katara felt her face heat up, and her hand flew to her mouth. Aang grinned but returned his gaze to the vista that spread before them, perhaps to allow her to regain her composure.

"Well, now that I'm a fully realized Avatar, I guess I ought to look the part," he answered. Then, however, he looked sideways at her, a slightly naughty expression in his eyes that was far older than his 13 years. "But for you, Katara, all you have to do is ask."

She just stood for a moment, shocked into stunned silence. After the initial shock wore off, the unexpectedness of his response made her laugh, and Aang joined her, although she thought they both knew he wasn't completely joking. There would be a time to pursue that later.

"I'll keep that in mind," Katara assured him, glad that he hadn't completely lost his fun-loving spirit.

On the other hand, the grown-up part of him was promising to hold its enchantments, too, and she was looking forward to discovering them.

--

Author's Note: These were all my initial ideas, but I may mull over a few others, and as always, if you have a suggestion you'd like to see me run with, feel free to make it. In the meantime, I'm going to be returning to my songfic collections and What You Missed for a while.

Review responses:

Jeni27: I actually mostly liked TSR except that it seemed to lead to the Zutara/Kataang fan tweaking that persisted until the very end of the finale. I'm trying to think of many of my scenes as real to make the end of the series more bearable.

BlackRose108: My problem is that in SP and EK (for example), Katara seemed to know and accept Aang's love for her, so the message appears to be that she was only okay with their relationship as long as she was in complete control. As soon as Aang took the initiative, she wanted to back off. I don't get it.

Ocaj: I have to believe that there were past Avatars who had killed someone, although I'm sure they avoided it whenever possible. It was a novel ending, and I liked the alternative, but I modestly think that my Destiny's Call ended up being more dramatic. I did use more death to get there, though.

DuHSPaZZiNGFeL: Well, I like to think of it that way, anyway.

avatar209: I always thought Aang and Zuko had the potential to get along, but I think it could have been handled better than The Firebending Masters showed it.

nutshak: Thanks. I just wish the writers/creators had seen fit to put more Kataang in the third season so I wouldn't HAVE to do this. I'd prefer to be just filling in blanks for fun rather than feverishly spackling and painting over the cracks in the walls of canon.

dizzy – in – the – izzy: But it's a lot more distracting not to know how someone feels about you than to have a definite answer. Therefore, the impression Katara gives is that she's letting Aang down gently, unwilling to completely dash his hope until the war is over.

Katsumara: Well, the time lapse was also implied by the fact that Sokka's leg was apparently healed, and I don't think even waterbending can mend a broken bone faster than six weeks.


	6. Chapter 6: On Love and War

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. If I did, this would have been the real scene.

Author's Note: This is the first alternate scene of the series. I resisted doing it, but arizony reminded me of the actual history of war, where romances have been sped up rather than postponed. Therefore, although I could probably come up with four different ways to write this scene better than the canon version (and more might be forthcoming), I think this is the most realistic for people in their situation while also allowing for the events of prior episodes. Takes place during Ember Island Players.

**On Love and War**

Aang stood on the balcony of the theatre, leaning against the rail. He really didn't want to go back in there. From the sounds of it, it was intermission, anyway. He wondered if anyone would notice if he just went back to the house.

"Are you okay?" Katara's voice came from behind him.

"I guess," Aang sighed. "I'm just sick of watching this stupid thing."

"I know what you mean. I'm not thrilled about being played by an overweight woman twice my age who overdoes everything."

"Well, I'd rather not be played by a woman at all." There was an awkward silence. "That's not really the main thing bothering me, though."

"No? What then?"

"You know that scene, where you and Zuko were captured together?" Aang asked. When she nodded, he took a deep breath. He didn't want to ask his next question, but he felt he had to. "I mean, I know it's just a play, and not a very good one, but…you don't really see me as a brother, do you?"

"Of course not!" Katara waved a hand as though that were the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard. "One brother is enough. Sometimes more than enough."

While that was something of a relief, Aang had to admit it was not quite as much as he was hoping for. He struggled with himself once again, finally blurting out what was really on his mind.

"So how _do _you feel about me?" he demanded, almost immediately wincing at his tone. He tried to explain. "I mean, I kissed you during the invasion, and you haven't said anything since. It's almost like you've been avoiding me." He had felt certain, at the time, that she had responded, but the lack of contact during the succeeding weeks were making him doubt his recollections.

"I was waiting for you to say something." She seemed genuinely surprised.

"But – it was your turn!" he exclaimed, wondering why this was not obvious to her. "I kissed you, and I needed you to tell me…something. To let me know how you felt about it. About me." The last two words were said very softly, and he wasn't sure she'd heard them.

"Oh," Katara began pulling at her hair, a nervous gesture she'd recently developed. It was hard to tell in the moonlight, but Aang thought she might have been blushing as well. "I thought…what you said before…it sounded kind of like you just wanted to kiss a girl before you died, and I was there."

"What?" Aang was utterly dumbfounded. Fortunately, Katara did not seem to notice his interjection.

"I didn't want you to think I thought it was more than you thought it was," she continued. "I was trying to give you time and space to figure out what you wanted."

Staring at her as he tried to comprehend this, Aang suddenly saw Katara in a new light. Although she was older than he was, she'd lived her life far more isolated than he had. Noting that the audience appeared to have returned inside, leaving them alone, he took off his hat, bunching it between his fingers as he considered what to do next. Then, he risked placing a hand over hers on the balcony rail.

"Katara, I've always known what I wanted," he said with quiet intensity, and she looked up to meet his gaze. "Ever since I first opened my eyes in your arms, it's been you. Only you." He realized that he was turning out to be the one reassuring her, which was the last thing he would have expected.

"Oh, Aang," she whispered, her eyes beginning to glisten. "Maybe…maybe I was just waiting for you to do it again when you _weren't_ afraid you were about to die." Aang allowed himself to smile, and his heart started pounding in his chest, but he was resolved to be cautious.

"Is that an invitation?" he asked, eyebrows raised. Katara smiled back. She removed her hand from under his, but only so that she could put her arms around his neck.

"Yes, genius, that's an invitation," she confirmed. Finally assured of his reception, Aang leaned in to her and closed his eyes. This time, they met in mutual affirmation of affections that had been developing for months. This time, there were no doubts to mar the moment.

When the kiss ended, also by mutual assent, Aang shifted to put his arm around Katara's shoulders and lean his head against hers. Katara put one arm around his waist. There seemed no need for words, but eventually, Aang decided to ask one final question.

"Should we go back in?"

"What's the point?" Katara shrugged within his embrace, and she turned to smile at him. "We already know how it ends." Aang grinned back and went in for another kiss.

They did indeed.

--

Author's Note: Of course, this was assuming that they both really did love each other, which wasn't so clear from the real episode. I didn't even use the L word! I really liked the idea of them remaining innocent of the horrible ending to the play.

I want to mention that my husband was particularly upset by Aang kissing Katara after she said she was confused because it was like he was taking advantage of her, which we know he wouldn't do. One final problem I had with the end of the finale was that Katara seemed to be saying: "Now that you've saved the world, you're good enough for me." That's not love, and it's disappointingly shallow for a show that had demonstrated incredible depth previously.

Review responses:

Jeni27: You might have found them already, but I have two songfic collections, Avatar Goes Broadway and Magic Kingdom (Disney songs). There are also some older oneshot songfics and a few hidden inside Boys & Girls.

BlackRose108: I think it's one thing for a girl that age to be flirtatious and see what she can get a guy to do, then back off, but that's usually short-term, and Aang and Katara seemed like they should have had a deeper relationship than that. I mean, they've been involved in life-or-death situations together.

DuHSPaZZiNGFeL: I missed the more close-fitting clothing and, more recently, being able to see some skin/tattoos. I also didn't see how he could do much bending in robes like that. Notice that we didn't see him do any?

avatar209: That make-out session at the end already seemed like more than intense flirting, but if you mean how they would probably begin to act in public, then I suppose I agree.

Marisol Maza: Well, exactly. I might do another re-write with her saying something just like that.

dizzy – in – the – izzy: Well, I thought he looked sort of buried in the new robes, like a child playing dress-up with his dad's clothing.

Katsumara: I think the above story and author notes mostly answered your review. Even if your assessment was correct, it could have been better written and _definitely _should have been explained. As a woman, I was appalled by Katara's behavior.


	7. Chapter 7: Ember Island Players, Take 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Rather than continuing to individually answer those who disagree with my assessment of EIP, I've decided to answer the common arguments in another alternate version of the Aang/Katara scene, using more of the original dialogue to make the point. I think this is more efficient.

**Ember Island Players, Take 2**

_I didn't say that. An actor said that. _It was a clear evasion, and Aang quickly called her on it.

"Then how do _you_ feel about _me_?" he returned bluntly. It was a direct question that required a direct answer.

"I don't know," she blurted. _That's great, Katara. Really decisive._

"You…don't know?" Utter disbelief was in Aang's voice, and Katara felt a needle-stick of pain in the region of her chest when she saw the devastated look on his face. Obviously, he had known how he felt about her for a long time and couldn't imagine her not having some idea of her feelings. Naturally, he was right. She was simply finding them hard to articulate.

"I do care about you, Aang," she clarified. She began tugging on a section of her hair that hung over her right shoulder. "It's just – we're in the middle of a war right now, and it seems like we have a lot more important things to worry about." She was still hedging, and she hated the way it sounded.

"That doesn't seem to bother Sokka and Suki," Aang pointed out. Katara opened her mouth to retort, only to realize there was nothing she could say. They were older? She'd be a hypocrite to use that argument, considering how many times she'd informed Sokka that the year between them made no real difference. She could use Aang's age, but since he was clearly more ready to pursue a relationship than Katara was, that didn't make much sense, either. She had to admit that there were times he was more mature than she was. Besides, that might give him the idea that she considered him too young for her, and that wasn't true.

She certainly couldn't address the depth of the relationship, either. Even being generous in her count, Sokka and Suki had spent a maximum of seven days together before showing up at the Western Air Temple as a full-fledged couple. With as much as Katara and Aang had shared over the past nine months or so, they'd had plenty of time to reach the same stage, and their relationship had to be at least as deep.

The most honest answer was that she'd been putting off the next step precisely because they were always together. She had made excuses to herself that other things were happening that demanded her attention, but that's all they were – excuses. Sokka and Suki had twice reunited after long absences, so they knew to appreciate their time together. By contrast, Katara always felt that she would have another opportunity.

After Aang had fallen at Ba Sing Se, Katara had thought of nothing more than telling him how much he meant to her. Somehow, though, as the weeks of his unconsciousness slipped by, that sense of urgency faded. All at once, she understood that she'd been taking him for granted, assuming that he would be there when she was ready. That wasn't fair to him, and she was appalled that she'd been treating him that way.

Perhaps misunderstanding her silence, Aang pressed his case.

"The war's been going on for 100 years, Katara," he reminded her. "If everybody decided to wait until it was over to fall in love, there wouldn't be a world left to save!"

At first, Katara wanted to be angry that he felt the need to remind her of the war, the one she'd actually had to live through for 14 years before she broke him out of the iceberg. He hadn't had to endure it the way she did. However, his casual use of the word "love" abruptly shifted her thoughts into another direction.

"We're more in the middle of it than most people," she argued. "You're the one who has to face the Firelord. I didn't want to distract you from what you need to learn and do." The short laugh Aang gave at that statement was uncharacteristically bitter.

"You really think it's less distracting for me to play 'she loves me, she loves me not' for hours in my head when I'm supposed to be learning firebending than it would be to know I could get a kiss from you when my training was done?" he shot back. In a smaller voice, he added the less palatable alternative. "Or even to know I didn't have a chance? I've expected that for a long time, but the hope I'm wrong is still alive. Not knowing is what keeps me confused and distracted."

"Look, I'm scared, okay?" Katara burst out finally. "The way I feel about you – it's stronger than I ever imagined. I didn't expect it to be like this. I have to keep sending you off and not knowing if you'll come back. I guess, deep down…I wanted to wait to make things formal until I wouldn't have to do that anymore." It sounded really selfish when she said it out loud, but Aang didn't seem to judge her. He hesitated before responding, chewing his lower lip. Whatever he was about to say, it wasn't easy for him.

"Katara, that day might never come," he said finally, and she could see how much this admission was costing him. "I will always be the Avatar, and it will always be my responsibility to maintain balance in the world. You're the one who taught me that and convinced me to accept it. But now it sounds like you really haven't."

Suddenly, Katara realized that it was she who didn't understand. She'd had this crazy idea that the kiss and Aang asking about their relationship was all on a sort of impulse, but it was now clear that he had thought this through. She was the one who hadn't. Of course, he was completely right. His life would always be dangerous at times, and if she chose this path, she would always have to worry about him. There would always be the chance she'd lose him.

As she gazed at his expectant face now, she realized that whatever decision she made, it would be forever. She couldn't back out of this one. The prospect was daunting.

"You're right," she conceded slowly. "Devoting your life to the Avatar is a big decision, and I'm not sure I'm ready to make it. I hadn't really thought that far ahead. I just need a little more time to think about it. I'm sorry." Without waiting for a response, she turned and fled back to the theatre.

--

Author's Note: I included a few obvious things in this story that I thought Aang really should have said. I also ended up combining a couple of my ideas for the scene, leaving things unresolved while keeping the relationship alive. It still would have been more effective if she'd stood by him for the battle, though.

Review responses:

SilverKyo: I totally hear you. I actually found the play amusing, and if it hadn't been for the botched Kataang scene, I could have really enjoyed the episode, but I agree it was unnecessary.

ilovekataang: It's okay. I understand how you feel, but that's the impression the show gave because Katara rejected him until things had settled down. I'd like to believe there's more depth there, too.

DuHSPaZZiNGFeL: Yes, but Katara's certainty should also have led her to be there when Aang came back. As it was, the comment could be interpreted to simply mean he had to come back for the sake of the world. She really needed to explain herself at some point.

nutshak: I suppose I understand your loyalty to the show. I just wish the writers and creators had shown us more respect in return. Their last few episodes indicate they don't think much of us, and there's apparently an interview at the end of the book version of Sozin's Comet that implies that as well.

Paintbender: Yes, thank you! What did you think of this one? I don't think it's as good or true as the last, but I still would have preferred it to the original.

dizzy – in – the – izzy: I took some flack for my comments, but I'm glad you and others see where I'm coming from. I don't know what the writers and creators were thinking.

Satyuros: We've already had lengthy discussions, but I also think this answers some of your arguments. If they had more time? Most of the season was filler. They could easily have resolved the relationship earlier. Anyway, thank you for being out there as a reader.

Avatar Wolf: Well, it was all just badly done and not well explained. This chapter refuted some of your explanations, even if that is what the writers were trying to say.

Ocaj: I'm with you on wondering why anyone would choose uncertainty and a non-event over romantic development. By the way, I'm sorry about the delay on reading your chapter. I'm most of the way through it. I decided to make some suggestions for edits, so that's slowed me down.

Argorok34: You mean The Earth King, but otherwise, I totally agree with you. To have the relationship end so flatly after so much buildup was anticlimactic in the extreme. The third season would have been better served to show Katara's growing feelings.

shiro-wolfman-k: Thank you; simple yet profound was exactly what I was going for. I really tried to make them sound like kids who were capable of deep emotions.

Katsumara: Well, thank you. If they'd at least been building up to a big payoff for Kataang, I could have brushed quite a lot aside, but being denied that really got my dander up. Seeing Katara do some serious groveling at the end would have helped.:- A blush just wasn't enough.

AirScooter11235: I've answered some of your comments in this chapter, but since Katara seemed to suspect that Aang was going to tell her he loved her at the end of The Earth King, and he came close in Serpent's Pass (after which she tearfully accepted him), I don't see how the kiss constituted new information. Bottom line, her "confusion" should have been explained.


	8. Chapter 8: What Katara Should Have Said

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: This was the thing that really bothered my husband, and it did strike me as odd that Katara would so quickly agree to go off with Zuko. It would have been better if she'd at least had to be talked into it. This, however, takes things a completely different direction.

**What Katara Should Have Said**

"Me? Why me?" Katara wasn't sure she'd heard correctly, but it sounded like Zuko had just asked her to help him fight Azula. He seemed taken aback by her question, but his response indicated that she did have it right.

"Well, we've just been working together pretty well lately," he said haltingly, as though he himself didn't know why he'd immediately chosen her as his partner. "I thought you'd like the chance to face her again."

"I would, but…" Katara hesitated, exchanging a glance with her brother. "Sokka and I have been with Aang since the beginning. I just don't feel like I can abandon him now."

"He's not even here," Zuko protested.

"He will be," she asserted firmly, allowing no room for doubt. "It's his destiny to face Ozai, so Aang will show up where he is. That's here, in the Earth Kingdom." From the depths of her heart, she was convinced that this was true.

"Plus you're in love with Aang," Suki added wisely, her eyes flicking briefly to Sokka. "That's a good reason to do a lot of things." Katara sucked her breath in through her teeth, taken by surprise. She'd never said those words aloud, and to hear the idea tossed out in such a matter-of-fact way was striking. She sensed that hers were not the only eyes trained on Suki, who flushed under the scrutiny. "What? I thought everybody knew." The group's general attention shifted from Suki to Katara.

"I sure did," Toph piped up. "The way both their heartbeats take off--"

"I haven't done that well against Azula in the past," the waterbender interrupted, trying to pull the subject away from her personal feelings, even as her rebellious heart sped up again. "I won't have much water to work with, either. Here, I have a whole ocean to use. I'm sorry, Zuko. My place is here."

"Well, I still need someone to help me," Zuko asserted, looking back to his uncle for confirmation. There was a pause before Toph spoke up again.

"To tell the truth, I wasn't looking forward to trying to bring down airships I can't even see," she admitted. "I'll go with Zuko."

"An excellent choice," Iroh approved. "You'll have plenty of earth to work with, and Azula's fire and lightning will have a hard time getting through your defenses."

"You've hardly even seen me earthbend," Toph reminded him, but she looked pleased.

"I've seen enough," replied Iroh placidly. "And if the Avatar chose you as his teacher, I am sure you are exceptional."

"I always knew I liked him," Toph said to Zuko.

"Then it's decided," Sokka affirmed after looking at everyone in turn. "Zuko and Toph will take Appa."

"You're driving," Toph teased, punching Zuko playfully.

"I hope Appa will listen to me," Zuko grumbled, rubbing his arm.

"Of course he will," Suki assured him. "He adores you. Don't you, Appa?" The bison rumbled his response, and the enthusiastic lick he gave Zuko afterward (and which Toph nimbly dodged) left no doubt as to his meaning.

"Fantastic," remarked Zuko wryly as he tried to dry his face with his sleeve. The others laughed, and even Katara managed a smile. After seeing Toph and Zuko off, Katara turned her attention to planning strategy with Sokka, even as she avoided his probing gaze. She was certain that this was where she belonged.

--

Author's Note: I really think Toph would have been a better choice to join Zuko in fighting Azula, for the reasons given here. Besides, it would have closed the circle by allowing Toph her mission with him. Of course, this makes even more sense if you don't have Toph clinging to Zuko for the search earlier.

Review responses:

SilverKyo: You are exactly right, and I can think of nothing to add.

avatar209: I liked my first one better, but I agree that even the second version would have been preferable to what actually happened.

Marisol Maza: Yes, yes, and yes. What more is there to say?:)

IceFire9: Well, thank you. I wanted to prove that the writers could have left things unresolved without using so many clichés and while showing Aang to be a little more intelligent.

mangafangirl: I tend to switch regularly between Kataangst and Kataang fluff. I don't think this is really either.

nutshak: Thank you very much!

chocolatecoveredbananacheese: Wow, I'd been wondering what happened to you! I have enough ideas to keep me going on this for a while.


	9. Chapter 9: After the Battle

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. Obviously.

Author's Note: This is a follow-up to the last one. Of course, there are many ways this could have been done, and it appeared to me the main reason to have Katara elsewhere was to cheat viewers out of a scene like this. Anyway, Aaron Ehasz reportedly said they wanted to complete the Kataang relationship using meaningful gestures and expressions rather than words, so I've tried to mostly stay with that concept.

**After the Battle**

Aang stood up after he had Firelord Ozai pinned helplessly in the rock, wondering what to do next. He turned to look at the airship fleet and discovered that several of the balloons were billowing on the sea and others were floundering in the air. Aang had been so focused on his fight that he hadn't been paying much attention to what was going on around him.

One ship approached close to the plateau upon which he stood, and he was delighted to see his friends riding on it. They stepped across to join him. There was a general babble of congratulations and commentary on the duel he'd just fought, but Aang didn't really hear any of it. He was focused on Katara, who stood there disheveled and with new scorch marks on her clothing but otherwise all right. He suddenly realized how much he had missed her the past few days.

She was nervously rubbing her arm, and she finally raised her eyes until their gazes locked. Her expression contained apology, awe, and a host of other things Aang was too tired to puzzle out. They simply stared at each other for a long moment. Finally, Katara hesitantly stepped forward and embraced him.

Aang accepted her without hesitation, wrapping his arms around her and closing his eyes as he gratefully inhaled her scent. Katara tightened her grip, holding him as though she would never let him go again. It was a good place to be, and the tension he felt pouring out of him felt at least equal to what he'd experienced when he knew he'd won against Ozai.

"I'm sorry," she murmured into his ear. "I'm so, so sorry." No more needed to be said. He knew exactly what she meant, and he was willing to forget the past in favor of the present and future.

After all of his travels, he'd found his way home.

--

Author's Note: Three people have said that Katara went with Zuko for revenge against Azula. You might be right, but then, so might the Zutarans who claim she harbored secret feelings for Zuko. Since the show didn't see fit to tell us her thought process, literally anything is possible. If the writers wanted to make the revenge motive clear, Katara should have said something like "Yeah, I owe her some payback!" and I still think she should have been torn about her duty.

Review responses:

nutshak: Er…what? Maybe you meant that my scene made so much sense you'd never see the original as making sense again? Not clear on that, but thanks anyway.

Ocaj: I think Katara would have been awesome with the airships, and the show hasn't given us clear limits on where she can get water from. As long as she knows it's there, she seems to be able to use it (e.g., pulling groundwater out of a well pump even before she was trained).

chocolatecoveredbananacheese: Thank you. How are you doing with catching up on my work? I know I've had some pretty prolific months recently.

lightspeedc: Since Suki was new to the group, I thought it would make sense for her not to realize that the Kataang relationship was something everyone was tiptoeing around.

DuHSPaZZiNGFeL: Well, this one at least shows how the reunion could have been accomplished quickly and more emphatically if Katara had been there. I find it hard to believe that Katara actually waited two months to approach him, and then just calmly and quietly.

crystal.elements: We've already discussed this at length, but I may eventually show how Toph and Katara would have had their chance to "shine" using my reorganization. I'm not sure this collection is the right place for that, but I'll think it over.

shiro-wolfman-k: Yes, I know what you mean, and since so much of the third season was filler with little to no bearing on the overall plot, I don't understand why the ending had to be so rushed. It seems like they could have dealt with a lot of the issues earlier.

airnaruto45: Okay.


	10. Chapter 10: Where's Katara?

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Something of a counterpoint to the last chapter, or maybe something we just didn't see, showing what Aang might have said upon noticing Katara wasn't there.

Would everyone please stop using the distraction argument? That only works if both a) Aang noticed his friends during the battle and b) he expected Katara to not be with them. Since neither of these appeared to be true in the finale, the point is moot. If Aang saw the others and noticed that Katara wasn't among them, he should have been obsessed with what had happened to her, which would be far more distracting than simply noting her presence and might well have cost him the battle.

**Where's Katara?**

Aang was only gradually able to pull his attention away from what had just happened and towards his friends. When he finally got around to counting noses, he realized that one or two were missing.

"Where's Katara?" he blurted suddenly, his heart gripped with terror that something horrible had happened while they'd been taking out the airships.

"She went with Zuko to fight Azula," Sokka informed him quickly. Aang just stared at his friend for a moment, uncomprehending. When it did sink in, the news was not particularly cheering. It meant that he still didn't know how she was and confirmed the idea, formed during their night at the theatre, that she wasn't very attached to him after all.

"We heard that Azula was going to be crowned Firelord," Suki added. She was busy creating a makeshift splint for Sokka's leg but she inclined her head toward Ozai. "This guy here named himself King of the World or something…"

"The Phoenix King!" Ozai spat at their feet.

"…which left his old job vacant," concluded Suki, ignoring the outburst.

"Well, you're the Lord of the Losers now," Toph told Ozai triumphantly. She stomped her foot, causing a sharp point of rock to jab up at a strategic location between the former Firelord's legs and making him yelp in a highly undignified manner.

"We need to go find out how they are," Aang declared, rather obviously. He was torn between concern for Katara and Zuko and anguish that Katara hadn't wanted to be with him for this. Mercifully, he was on the verge of being too tired to feel anything.

Even though he had saved the world, he still felt as though it were crashing down around him.

--

Author's Note: I didn't know exactly how to end it, but then it occurred to me that I haven't yet seen anyone writing Aang this way – victorious yet crestfallen. Why hasn't anyone, the canon included, shown his reaction to Katara's absence? It seems like he would have been crushed to find that she chose Zuko over him at this juncture.

Review responses:

mangafangirl: Thank you. Emotional moments that feel real are often what I try to create.

nutshak: Well, brevity is the soul of wit, and I sometimes think these short scenes can be more effective than thousands of words of explanation.

Katsumara: But "chipper" was not how Katara approached revenge in TSR, so it doesn't make sense when she's responding to a wound that is much fresher. She also could have said "payback" or "unfinished business", at least one of which has been used on just about every Nicktoon ever made.

Satyuros: Several of the "reunion" scenes I've written would have taken maybe 10 seconds on screen. I'm sure they could have cut something else to make room, like Aang swimming around the legs of the lion-turtle or some of the beach party.

DuHSPaZZiNGFeL: I'm working on fixing everything, but I don't think I'm there yet.:) Anyway, thank you and you're welcome.

Marisol Maza: Ah, but his grown up status would have been much better established by Katara displaying that she needed him. Having a reunion right after the battle would have said "I really care about you and I was worried" instead of the sort of "You're the hero, so I guess I can be with you" subtext we ended up with.

crystal.elements: I'm sure you will find a way through your cognitive dissonance. I agree with you, and it really bothered me that Aang and Katara didn't even really seem to _think _about each other during the finale. Katara started to go to Aang in the beginning but easily allowed Zuko to talk her out of it.

shiro-wolfman-k: I agree. I've actually read the beginning of a story where Katara comes to Aang at the end of the war, and he tells her he's not sure she's what he wants anymore and goes off to properly master the elements. Unfortunately, I can't remember who wrote it.


	11. Chapter 11: Steam

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: All right, this might be controversial, but it's an idea that's been at the back of my mind for a long time. Basically, my husband made a rather lewd comment at this point in Nightmares & Daydreams, and while I thought he was being bad, the concept took hold. I couldn't help thinking, what would have happened if Katara really had meant something else? Here's one possibility.

**Steam**

"Prepare to de-stressify," said Katara, her arms wrapped around Aang's bare torso. He had no idea what she meant by that, and he was too jittery to even really enjoy her closeness. She led him down into a cavern on the island where hot springs bubbled up, heated by the magma below. She undressed in a fairly businesslike fashion, until she was in her underclothes. Aang just blinked at her, uncomprehending, and awaited instructions.

"Sit down," Katara ordered, and he did so. She seemed oddly nervous, which was not helping Aang's anxious state. She circled around behind him and began massaging the muscles of his shoulders and back, obviously avoiding the wounded area in the middle. Slowly, he loosened up, sighing and closing his eyes. The steam he inhaled seemed to be healing him from the inside while Katara's efforts were working his stress away from the outside.

Katara shifted her hands to his upper arms, and Aang felt Katara draw closer behind him. He could just feel her breast bindings, and her hair brushed his back. A new but faintly familiar sensation touched his right shoulder and when he felt it a second time, he recognized it as Katara's lips on his skin. She seemed to be kissing her way towards his neck.

"K – Katara?" he stammered.

"Shhh," she admonished, continuing to move her lips by intervals to the point where his shoulder met his neck and bringing one hand around to rest on his chest. Aang was wondering if he was dreaming again, but he couldn't remember ever experiencing anything this detailed in his dreams, either asleep or awake. His body's response to her also felt incredibly real, almost to the point of pain.

When she reached his neck, Aang could stand it no longer. He twisted his head to kiss her full on the mouth, turning his body while they were locked so that he was facing her. When he withdrew, breathing hard, he was surprised to find that one of his arms had wrapped around her waist while the other hand was braced on the floor. He looked into her eyes, seeing excitement, surprise, and just a hint of fear. That last emotion brought him back to himself some, and he released her. Of all the legitimate reasons she could be afraid of him, he didn't want this to be one of them.

"Katara, what are you doing?" he demanded. He was confused. Why had she started this, especially if she didn't expect him to respond?

"I – I'm trying to relax you," she explained haltingly. Aang gaped at her in disbelief. When he internalized what she had said, he felt that his blood was replaced by ice water, and his desire began fading away.

"That's why you're doing this? Because I'm tense?" He turned away abruptly, fighting the tears in his eyes. Going from the euphoria of thinking she might actually return his feelings to the bitter knowledge that she had only approached him out of some misplaced sense of duty was too much for him to take, especially when he was so tired. "I thought – I thought it meant…" He couldn't finish. He felt used and empty.

"Aang, I'm sorry." Katara placed a hand on his shoulder, but he shook it off.

"Just leave me alone," he pleaded, scuttling farther away. She kept her distance, but she clearly wasn't leaving. He just wanted to be left to cry in peace.

"Aang, you're right. I've done this all wrong. I – I was too scared to do it the right way."

"Scared?" Aang repeated numbly. He had no idea what she was talking about.

"The truth is, I love you," Katara explained, speaking rapidly. Aang was startled enough that he turned to face her. "I guess this was my stupid way of trying to tell you without telling you. That way, I had an excuse if you didn't…feel the same way. I'm so sorry. I feel so –"

"Katara, you don't need excuses," Aang interrupted, standing up and approaching her. They stood uncertainly for a moment, and then he leaned in to kiss her. The kiss began slowly before deepening into a tender expression of love as they wrapped their arms around each other. By the time they parted to catch their breath, his passion had returned. He leaned his forehead against hers and rubbed his hands up and down her arms. She was trembling.

"I love you," he whispered. "And because I love you, I can't let you do this. You're not ready, and frankly, I don't think I am, either." Katara nodded, pulling her head back a little as she breathed a sigh.

"You still have a problem, though," she reminded him.

"Well, I don't feel so nervous knowing you love me," he said, smiling. She flashed him a grin in return. "That gives me something much nicer to focus on than the battle."

"I'm glad about that, but it's not exactly what I was talking about." She gave a significant look downward, and he felt acutely embarrassed that she had noticed his arousal. Instinctively, he started to back away from her, but she prevented him. "I started this, and I should finish it."

"Katara, you don't have to—" he protested, hearing that sound of duty in her words again, but she stopped him by placing a finger across his lips.

"I know. I want to."

Aang didn't know what she was planning, but he nodded slowly. Her face had grown serious and determined, and he knew it was next to impossible to talk her out of doing something when she got that look. Besides, confessing that this was a problem he'd had to deal with numerous times before was not something he felt comfortable doing right now.

"Just lie down and close your eyes," Katara instructed. He hesitated but did as she asked. When he felt her undoing his pants, however, he grasped one of her wrists and opened his eyes.

"Katara?"

"Please, let me do this," she requested. "Just trust me." Then, she kissed him sensuously, and there was simply no resisting that. He allowed her to expose his privates, although he probably would have blushed at what she was seeing if so much of his blood hadn't been occupied elsewhere.

As soon as she touched him, all other thoughts fled. What followed was a little awkward but accomplished its objective. As the tremors of his release subsided, they were replaced by utter relaxation of a sort Aang could not remember ever experiencing before. Eyes closed, he was scarcely aware of Katara cleaning him off and covering him up before he drifted off to sleep.

--

"What can they be doing in there?" Sokka wondered aloud, eyes wandering toward the cave into which Aang and Katara had disappeared.

"Do you really want to know?" Toph challenged tantalizingly, and Sokka considered carefully. Toph's smirk suggested that he really didn't, not to mention that people generally didn't pose that question unless they were about to reveal something unpleasant to hear. His natural curiosity warred with his desire to remain in the dark about certain aspects of his sister's life.

"No, I don't think so," he replied slowly. Toph shrugged.

"Suit yourself," she said, but she seemed a little disappointed, which convinced Sokka that he'd made the right decision. Anything that would have given Toph pleasure to impart was probably not information Sokka wanted to have. A few minutes later, Katara emerged alone.

"He's asleep," she answered their unvoiced questions. "I'm not sure for how long, but he's going to be thirsty when he wakes up. Have some fresh water ready."

"How did you do it?" Sokka blurted out, honestly wondering what could have made Aang forget all of his anxiety in such a relatively short time.

"Classic relaxation techniques," she responded airily. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go for a swim." Her face was red, but Sokka assumed that was because of all the steam she'd recently been exposed to. As he watched her walk towards the shore, however, he couldn't help but wonder.

Please, let it be the steam.

--

Author's Note: I think one of the reasons this took me so long to actually put into writing was that I was trying to decide exactly how much should happen and how. I also struggled with keeping it T rated. Of course, the rest of their relationship in the third season would have to be re-written after this, but there would still be a definite excuse for some lingering awkwardness.:)

Review responses:

TTAvatarfan: Well, I hope you do. Aang is very interesting to write, and he was the first character that really spoke to me when I began doing Avatar fanfiction.

arizony: You were the first of several who wanted to see a continuation of that last story. My husband says no, it's complete as it stands, but I'll have to think about it.

SilverKyo: Wow, you practically wrote an entire chapter there! I think I should point out that the final scene in Ba Sing Se was actually two months after the battle, so there's plenty of time for them to work things out; we apparently just didn't get to see it. I will consider a continuation.

mangafangirl: My husband really thinks I should leave it at that, with Aang just feeling forlorn even though he won, but as I indicated in other replies above, I may write a sequel.

nutshak: If you thought that last one was different, I can hardly imagine how you would describe this.

Katsumara: Did you not read my author notes to the previous chapter? Aang has always seemed to believe the best way to protect Katara (or others) was to go directly after whatever was threatening them – see Bato, of the Water Tribe or The Drill for examples. I wasn't portraying him as jealous so much as simply rejected.

DuHSPaZZiNGFeL: Thank you. I suppose one of the reasons I have a lot of readers is because I look at things differently than most, so my work tends to stand out as unique.

shiro-wolfman-k: You seem to disagree somewhat with Katsumara, but I think you and I are right. Thank you for reviewing in English. I know that's more difficult for you.

Amira Elizabeth: As always, that means a lot from you. Thank you for checking this collection out.


	12. Chapter 12: Avatar's Prayer

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or the Prayer of St. Francis. I'm pretty sure the good saint didn't get a copyright, though.

Author's Note: Well, whatever you thought of the last one, it certainly garnered a lot of responses! This is a different kind of story but an idea that's been in the back of my mind for a while. Many of my readers are probably familiar with this prayer, attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. I've sung several musical settings of it and have long thought it could easily apply to the Avatar. I decided to set it early in the finale, after Aang goes off to meditate and before he takes his moonlight swim.

**Avatar's Prayer**

_Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.  
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;  
Where there is injury, pardon;_

Aang sat down to meditate, but it took some time to quiet his mind. How was he supposed to bring peace to the world if he couldn't find peace within his own spirit? It was not the first time he had faced this question, but it felt like the discord inside him was more pronounced than it had ever been before.

Eventually, however, he succeeded, and his thoughts began drifting freely. Things often seemed much clearer when he was in this state, and he hoped that would hold true in the present case. He now faced possibly his most difficult problem ever: how to restore balance to the world without taking the life of the one who was currently disrupting it.

Aang had always made a conscious effort, grounded in his monastic education, to keep words like "hate" and "revenge" out of his vocabulary. Killing the Firelord seemed like an act encompassing both, and he didn't know if he could do it. Even if he could, he didn't think he'd want to live with himself afterward.

_Where there is doubt, faith;  
Where there is despair; hope;_

On the other hand, Aang didn't know of anything else that would keep Ozai from being a threat permanently. Which was more important, saving the world or preserving his personal sense of ethics? He knew what the others would say, but the answer wasn't so clear to him.

Aang felt that there had to be another option, but he couldn't conceive of what it might be. He'd frankly been doubting himself ever since Ba Sing Se, and now that he had less than three days to end the war, his doubts only seemed to grow and multiply.

It didn't help that he felt so utterly alone right now. This wasn't just because Katara had rejected him, although that was part of his feeling of isolation. Even more troubling was knowing that the rest of his team disagreed with him on this key issue. Although he'd been told he was giving hope to the world, he needed to look elsewhere to find some for himself.

_Where there is darkness, light;  
And where there is sadness, joy._

Aang was learning that it was difficult to be a light shining in the darkness that had cast a shadow over all of the nations of the world for a century. He had lost everything of his past life in what had felt like a moment, but he persistently refused to dwell on things like that. He always tried to put a positive face on life in general, and his own situation in particular. He didn't want to make others feel his sorrows; they usually had enough of their own.

These thoughts were threatening to cast him back into full wakefulness, so Aang took a deep breath and re-settled himself. The Spirit World contained thousands of spirits, he thought. Surely one of them could give him the answer he sought.

_Oh, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek  
To be consoled as to console,_

Unfortunately, the Spirit World proved elusive today. Maybe he couldn't quite keep himself focused enough. Whatever the reason, he found that he was unable to cross the boundary between worlds. Instead, he remained immersed in his own thoughts, trying to sort them out satisfactorily.

Katara hadn't even come to talk to him, as he had half expected. She had always been there at moments like this before, but now she wasn't. It was another sign that they were not as close as he would have liked them to be. As he had thought they were.

Aang sank deeper into his own consciousness, sternly reminding himself that he could no longer afford, like a child, to seek consolation from others. He needed to stand on his own and be strong for everyone else.

_To be understood as to understand,  
To be loved as to love._

Since the spirits were not answering, he called out to the elements. They flowed through him, filling his empty spaces. He observed their distinct signatures intertwining within him and begged them to show him the path he should take. No pattern emerged, but they led him to remember his time with the Guru, how he had learned that all things were connected. Even the Fire Nation was connected to the other nations, even if its people had largely forgotten that.

Perhaps inevitably, this train of thought also reminded him of his struggle against letting go of Katara. He suddenly came to a profound realization: whether she loved him or not, his love persisted. It was enough, right now, to know that he was capable of freely loving without expecting anything in return. This understanding was surprisingly liberating.

_For it is in giving that we receive;  
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned._

Aang thought he heard a faint voice calling to him, but when he sought after it, it faded. Leaving that for the moment, he returned to his ruminations.

For some reason, the concept of forgiveness again made its way to the forefront of his thoughts. He had tried to teach Katara about the gift of forgiveness, but she'd refused it twice. He probably ought to have seen that as a sign that there was a separation between them that he hadn't wanted to acknowledge.

Nonetheless, forgiveness was an integral part of who Aang was, and it was also the eventual outcome of his meditations. He forgave Katara for withdrawing from him. He forgave Firelord Sozin for giving the order to kill the Air Nomads, and the soldiers for carrying it out. He forgave the man who'd killed Katara's mother, even though she could not. Perhaps _because_ she could not.

_And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life!_

When all of this was done, Aang felt strangely free. Neither in the Spirit World nor the world he walked by day, he hovered between, comprehending at last what he was here for. He would give all he had for the cause of balance. It was what he had been made to do, and even if it cost him his life, it was worth the price. Life would go on for everybody else.

The voice called to him again, and this time, he was able to find its direction and follow it. He knew he had to find its source. That way lay his destiny.

And, an indeterminate amount of time after he'd originally sat down, he shifted from meditation to sleep. As he crossed that barrier, he had a vision of a peaceful island, covered with trees.

--

Author's Note: Does anyone else wonder what Aang was thinking about all that time? His candles had burned down, so we know it must have been hours. I like to think that he found some sort of peace, even if he still didn't know how he was going to handle Ozai.

Review responses:

JacktheMonkeyxo: Well, I'm starting to run out of good ideas, but thank you.

Fusion Blaster: I don't think Aang would ever turn it down again, but you have to admit, the first time would be embarrassing, especially as they hadn't really taken any prior relationship steps. I'm considering a sequel where he reciprocates.:-

TTAvatarfan: Yeah, I agree. Honestly, if the Kataang in the actual show had been more satisfying, I don't believe that idea would ever have seen the light of day.

SilverKyo: Of course, some of the scenes I've already written could have followed after Aang's disappointment at not finding Katara there – like Reuniting. Still, we'll see.

Unheard Legacy: I'm pretty sure you have only one Y chromosome, although there are exceptions. Yes, it's different, but I do like to stretch myself now and then. Besides, since the show gave us a whole lot of NOTHIN' in their relationship, I thought I'd go to the other extreme.

Marisol Maza: So she can put her hands all over his bare torso and murmur seductively in his ear but not go any farther? I don't know…if she can deliver a baby, I think she could handle this. Anyway, what I was really trying to show was the steps she was willing to take for his peace of mind.

mangafangirl: Actually, I beg to differ. Katara was all over Aang from The Headband through Nightmares and Daydreams (she was touching him a lot in Earth, too, especially after Serpent's Pass). It was only after he actually kissed her that she backed off. More accurately, it was after Zuko joined them.

nutshak: Thanks for your positive vote.

Katsumara: Yep, thank you. As for the other topic, can you show me a single example from canon where Aang was dangerously distracted by Katara being present during a battle? If not, how could one possibly infer something unspoken in the last episodes that had never been an issue before?

Ocaj: Actually, I prefer to think that I'm writing Katara as the natural outgrowth of the character she was becoming in the second season and first half of the third. The writers decided to take an abrupt turn into the wilderness, but I didn't.

shiro-wolfman-k: My theory is that Toph had to come to terms with sensing people doing "that kind of stuff" quite early in life (parents and servants in her house, for example), so she accepts it as normal. And I'm sorry, but I can't remember the title or author of that story. If I find it again, I'll send the information to you.

Amira Elizabeth: I appreciate that from you. Physical and emotional responses to difficult situations are my favorite things to play with. Oddly enough, my husband thought I went a little too far, even though the idea was originally his!

Aryck1095: My husband agreed but several other readers thought the T was perfect. I think I'm skating the edge a bit.


	13. Chapter 13: Toph vs Azula

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: This is one part of the continuation of What Katara Should Have Said, showing how things could have gone at the Fire Nation if Toph had accompanied Zuko. This is the shorter and easier of the two fight scenes, so I've done it first. The next will be Katara's side of the battle if she were with the rest of the group.

**Toph vs. Azula**

It was a quiet ride to the Fire Nation. Toph rode beside Zuko on Appa's head, both of her arms wrapped around the firebender's waist as she ducked under his arm to limit the wind whipping across her face. They'd decided not to weigh the bison down with his saddle, and besides, Toph had no interest at all in riding back there alone. Although the vast emptiness she felt all around her was terrifying, at least here she had someone to hold on to.

"There it is," Zuko announced, half to himself, and Toph could hear the conflict in his voice. This was his home, and yet it wasn't. She could empathize with that. Silence reigned for a few more minutes.

"Shouldn't someone be, I don't know, launching flaming rocks at us by now?" Toph asked finally. She couldn't hear anything, and Appa wasn't making the sudden direction shifts that would signify dodging.

"What, is this too easy for you?" he retorted.

"No, it's just…" she paused, uncertain how to explain exactly what she meant.

"No, you're right," Zuko didn't give her time to figure it out. "They should have noticed us, and they should be shooting. Something's wrong." Something wrong down there seemed like a good thing for them, but Zuko's wariness was contagious, and Toph felt a shudder run through her.

As they descended, Zuko gave her a running commentary, mentioning that it looked like his sister's coronation ceremony was about to start. After landing, Zuko called out to Azula that she wasn't going to be crowned today. He carried Toph down Appa's flank on the side away from the activity, using the bison as a shield. Then, they both walked forward, Toph mostly busy getting her bearings through her feet.

A few words were exchanged, and Azula challenged Zuko to single combat. To Toph's surprise, he accepted.

"What?" she demanded. "I thought we were supposed to do this together."

"It's okay," Zuko assured her. "I can't explain it, but something's off about her. I can do this."

Actually, Toph had already noticed something odd about the princess. Her movements were jerky and abrupt, lacking the fluid grace she usually displayed. In fact, if it weren't for the voice, Toph might have doubted that it was really her.

The men surrounding Azula were already backing off, and Toph took up a position far enough away that she didn't think stray fire would reach her but close enough that she could easily read the actions of the two combatants.

As the first attacks began, Toph made her own preparations. She didn't trust Azula as far as she could throw her, so she drew rock around herself as armor and paid close attention to the duel. At first, it seemed a fairly ordinary exchange of attacks. Much of firebending was lost on Toph because she couldn't see the results, but she'd learned essentially what to expect when the feet and arms of a firebender were positioned in a certain way. Occasionally, she could feel heat seeping through the joints of her earth protection.

"Why aren't you using lightning?" Zuko demanded during a lull. "Afraid I'll redirect it?"

"I'll show you lightning!" shrieked Azula in return, and Toph could hear the crackling as the princess readied her energies.

"Toph, look out!" Zuko shouted as he stepped forward and launched another move, but his warning was unnecessary. Toph had already detected the shift in Azula's stance, and she wasted no time in responding. The earthbender tossed a wall up in front of her, sensing the vibrations as it absorbed the power Azula had released. Almost simultaneously, Azula cried out in pain; Zuko's fire must have reached her.

Toph then shoved the wall towards the princess. Azula jumped, whether to get out of the way or on top of it, Toph didn't know. It didn't matter. Earth was implacable, and the wall toppled on top of Azula, pieces of it strategically pinning her arms and legs. Toph suspected that Azula had tried to launch one last gout of flame, but it must have shot harmlessly into the air as the rock forced her to the ground.

Zuko had been running toward them, but he stopped to allow the miniature landslide to take its course. When that was done, he went to stand over his fallen sister. Confident that the fight was over, Toph dropped her armor.

"No!" Azula screamed. "Noooo! Let me up, and we'll finish this."

"It _is_ finished," replied Zuko, and there was a tinge of sadness in his tone. Toph didn't completely understand it, but after all, the two of them had been children together. Maybe there was some lingering affection there.

"What are you going to do with her?" Toph asked, also moving closer. The princess was vainly struggling to move as she gnashed her teeth and mumbled incoherently.

"If you can make some restraints for her, we'll take her to prison," Zuko answered heavily. Toph shrugged and let Zuko hold Azula while Toph released her just enough to fasten stone securely around her wrists and ankles.

"Fire Sages, I ask you to bear witness," Zuko addressed the assembled men. "I have won this Agni Kai, and the crown of the Fire Nation is mine, by birth and by merit." He sounded surprisingly regal, and Toph found herself impressed, which wasn't something she often experienced. There was some awkward shuffling.

"Yes, Your Highness," said one of the sages finally. "Princess Azula broke the sacred rules of the contest. The victory and the throne are yours." Zuko nodded sharply, then hefted Azula onto his shoulders. She was hardly struggling anymore, perhaps having tired herself. He could have given his prisoner to someone else, but he probably didn't trust anyone to do this job. Toph followed him, with Appa making his six-legged way behind them.

"So, what do we do now?" Toph wondered as they walked.

"Now," murmured Zuko tightly, "we wait." Toph thought about this for a moment. They had done their part, but they wouldn't really know how everything turned out until they found out whether Aang had shown up and defeated Ozai. She heaved a large sigh.

"I hate waiting," she announced.

--

Author's Note: Yes, it was a short battle, but it was my idea that Toph could succeed easily in this situation, especially with Zuko making a move at the same time. After thinking she was delivering a killing blow, Azula wouldn't have been preparing another attack, or might have turned back to Zuko, assuming that he would be distracted. Therefore, she could easily have been caught off-guard.

Review responses:

Marisol Maza: Personally, I found it more scandalous for Katara to essentially ignore Aang for some 9 episodes than to make sexual advances. Then again, I'm married, so acts of intimacy have become quite commonplace for me.

mangafangirl: I don't know whether I like the sound of having "mashed" things together, but you probably meant "meshed." Anyway, I'm glad you liked it.

Shinobi Bender: That comment regarding St. Francis in the disclaimer was intended to be a joke for those who bothered to read it. Thanks for catching it. I thought the prayer was a concise way to bring in the myriad of things that might have been troubling Aang at that juncture.

AurouraandRosalieWannabe: Actually, you were reviewing Chapter 11, but that's okay. I like Kataang oneshots, too, and incredibly enough, the ideas keep coming to me.

growabrain: Some are probably more plausible than others, but I'm happy you think so.

my trancey inspiration: My thoughts exactly. Even if Katara initially agreed to leave Aang alone (although I think it's more likely she would have impatiently shaken Zuko off), you'd think she'd have gone to see him after a couple of hours had passed, at least to offer him food or something. If nothing else, what happened to the motherly side of her?

prettygirl17: Thank you very much! I love the internal character studies, and I haven't done enough of them lately. Sometimes dialogue is overrated.:)

nutshak: I think the third season should be renamed "Opaque," LOL. To look at it more positively, it gives me a lot of room to improvise.

Katsumara: We've already discussed this at length, so I don't want to go over old ground. Would you also argue, though, that Sokka would have been more effective in his part if Suki hadn't been there? I mean, the same logic should apply to both relationships if it applies to one.

Ocaj: True enough. We do know that spirits are very real in this world and that they sometimes get involved with world situations. Aang himself has a spirit within him.


	14. Chapter 14: Katara and the Airships

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: This is the companion piece to Toph vs. Azula, where Katara takes part in the big battle on the edge of the Earth Kingdom. I decided to do this before updating my other stories because I felt it was important, and I thought it would take me a while to complete. I was right about that last part, at least.:)

**Katara and the Airships**

Katara saw the airships moving ominously toward the Earth Kingdom shore long before she and the others were close enough to engage them.

"So, how are we going to do this?" asked Suki quietly, and Katara thought she knew what the other girl meant. There were three of them to take out a fleet of airships, holding dozens of firebenders who would be at their highest power when the comet made its pass. It was a daunting prospect, and if Aang didn't appear to face off with Ozai, their efforts would be in vain.

Of course, that wouldn't happen, because he _would _be there. He had to be. For the future of the world, yes, but also to give Katara a chance to apologize to him. She took a deep breath, forcing him out of her mind for the time being. It was strange how that had actually been easier when he was nearby. Strange, and painfully ironic.

"I'll do my best work from the outside, but I don't want to risk hurting you if you're in one of those ships," she said. "So I think you two should start at this end, and I'll go down to the opposite side. We'll meet somewhere in the middle, and keeping track of the ones you take out should give me a good idea of where you are."

"That's a good plan," agreed Sokka, after a moment of reflection. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Katara smiled at him.

"Well, I _am_ your sister," she reminded him. He flashed her a quick grin before sobering again.

"Seriously, Katara, we've been through a lot since that fishing trip almost a year ago, and I wanted you to know…."

"Oh, I love you, too, Sokka, but we don't have time for this!" Katara exclaimed. Sokka pulled her into a hug.

"Just take care of yourself," he admonished. Releasing him, Katara nodded and backed away. Then she used the ocean to launch Sokka and Suki up to their first target, watched to make sure they landed solidly on top of the balloon, and went to pursue her own task.

Striding across the waves like some sort of elemental titan, Katara looked at the formation and tried to decide on her best option. The airships were really sitting turtle-ducks there. With all of their attention focused toward the front, the Fire Nation was clearly not expecting an attack from behind.

Even though Katara would have preferred a full moon to work with, the feel of the sea all around her made her feel that the ocean spirit was solidly with her. She realized that it had been far too long since she'd been able to use her waterbending without limit, and a part of her was looking forward to it. Allowing the anticipation and sense of power to roll through her, she readied herself for battle. Even as she watched, a large gout of flame erupted from the front of the lead airship, laying waste to anything that might have been living on the land below. Looking higher yet, a blaze in the sky grew steadily larger. It was time.

She decided to start big. Moving her arms in a large, circular motion, she created a vortex of water that surrounded her, which she used to raise her body up into the air. It was frightening to be so high above the ocean's surface on just a narrow pillar, yet it was also exhilarating. Continuing the vortex's spin, she pulled a segment of the water off and sliced the top off of the first balloon. It began to plummet toward the water, and the crew abandoned ship on both sides as Katara moved on. Of course, this got the attention of the firebenders on the next ship, but she was ready for that.

The soldiers began firing at her, some shots coming close enough to evaporate part of her watery support. She lowered herself back to the ocean's surface, increasing the range they had to shoot as well as taking advantage of the cover of the waves. She moved to a position beneath and slightly behind the next ship in line. She raised another pillar of water, wrapped it around the body of the ship, and froze it in place. Some of the firebenders slid down the precarious support and took up positions on the ice platform surrounding it. It was obvious that they intended to use that as a solid place from which to shoot at her, but she didn't plan to give them time to take aim.

Gathering her strength, Katara launched herself upward on a waterspout, getting herself close enough to jump on top of the next balloon. She brought some of the water from the spout with her to work with. She was now shielded from the firebenders below and even on other ships, and it would be difficult for any fire to reach her without also doing damage to the ship and making her job easier. The trick was to get this done quickly, before some of the soldiers could also get to the top of the balloons to engage her directly.

Katara converted the water she held into sharp points of ice and sent them running through the fabric again and again, almost like sewing, perforating the balloon until she felt that the loss of air was reducing the pressure that supported her weight. At that point, she took a few running steps and jumped to the next one in line, converting her remaining water into an arch of ice to help her get across. She turned the ice back to water again and carried it with her.

She paused on top of this balloon to check the progress of Sokka and Suki. Down at the other end of the formation, she saw one of the ships veer sharply to port, aiming directly for its companions. Katara surmised that the others must have gained control of the cockpit and swung the wheel around.

"That's a good idea," she murmured to herself and began running toward the stern. She carefully observed the rudder, wishing that she'd paid more attention to Sokka's explanations of how these things worked. Still, the construction was similar to a boat, a type of vehicle with which she was intimately familiar, so she had to believe that the rudder worked in much the same way.

There was shouting behind her. Katara looked down to see that she'd been spotted. A couple of men were already climbing rope ladders in her direction, and others were sending fire blasts at her, although they had to shoot wide to avoid setting the balloon on fire. Nonetheless, the attacks were coming closer as they found their range.

For a moment, Katara wondered whether she might bait the soldiers and make them hit the rudder instead of her, but she decided it was too risky. Aang would be able to do it, but she wasn't as nimble as he was, and it would take more precise calculating than she could do at the moment to make sure they hit exactly the right spot.

Concentrating carefully on what she had to do, Katara quickly took her water and sliced at the piece that connected the rudder to the controls inside, eventually breaking it free. Some enemy fire was grazing close enough to warm her skin and set portions of her clothing smoldering, which she quickly extinguished.

Wasting no more time, she leapt down to the steering mechanism, a fireblast shooting through the spot she'd just vacated. Dropping her water, she pushed the rudder with all her might, trying to force the ship hard to starboard. The metal groaned and gave under her full weight, making the airship shift its prow to head ponderously toward its neighbor. Satisfied, and taking advantage of the change in balance that the firebenders had to adapt to, she stepped off of the end of the ship.

Frightening though it was, Katara allowed herself to fall freely for a couple of seconds. Then, she brought the water up into a bowl to catch her. Her momentum was still enough to plunge her completely into the base of it, but she had managed to soften her landing. Anyway, she could handle getting a little wet. She forced her arms under her, coming up on a rising wave and drawing a deep breath. Seeing land not too far distant, she rode the wave to the shore and rested against a rock pillar for a moment, surveying her surroundings.

Fallen firebenders were making their way towards the shore, but that wasn't an urgent concern. Katara knew they couldn't bend underwater, and even with the comet, they wouldn't be much of a threat until they managed to dry off. The prow of the ship she'd just disabled was driving into the balloon of the one next to it, and it looked like both were set to ram into the one beyond that.

In fact, most of the airships were either down or floundering, showing that Sokka and Suki had been equally effective at their part of the battle. Even as she watched, one of the two intact ships remaining headed into a rock formation, leaving Katara to assume that her brother and his girlfriend were on their way to taking over the last one. A flicker in the sky caught her attention, and she saw the exchange of attacks far above.

_Aang! _Katara thought as she recognized the distant silhouette, and she was so happy to see him that it took her two full seconds to register what was going on. Once she realized that he was engaged in fighting the Firelord, she knew she had to get closer. Drawing on her energy reserves, she pulled in a wave as it arched up over the shallow seabed and wrapped it around the pillar she'd been leaning against. Then she froze it and slid up, adding sections where she needed to. This wasn't nearly as easy as sliding down an ice ramp, but it was still possible. Clambering on top of the rock, she melted the ramp to discourage company and again looked for Aang and Ozai. The two were ricocheting around the stone outcrops so fast that they became a blur of movement.

Katara's heart caught in her throat when she saw Aang get thrown against a cliff, but then, something amazing happened. He began to glow and rise into the air, and she knew that he'd managed the Avatar state at last. She watched in awe as he gathered each element in turn to surround him in a whirling globe of power, releasing what he needed to press his attack. Katara thought that Aang looked really sexy like that, and a second later was ashamed that such a silly thing was her first reaction.

Suddenly, she heard a collective shout from the direction of the ocean. Looking that way, she saw the bottom of the last airship open up, emptying itself of its crew. Smiling faintly, Katara waved, knowing that Sokka and Suki must have taken over the cockpit. The ship began moving ponderously toward her, but she ignored it for the moment to watch the final battle that still raged.

She lost sight of Aang and Ozai occasionally as they struggled, but they finally came to rest on a wide, stone plateau. Her view of its top was not clear, but she saw Aang trap Ozai in rock. Then, an odd thing happened. Aang reached out to the Firelord and raised his face to the sky. Blue light shone forth from him like a beacon, and shortly thereafter, a similar red light emerged from Ozai's body. The blue light moved toward the red at first, but then the red light went towards Aang, filling him up with its harsh energy. Katara didn't understand exactly what was happening, but she instinctively knew she was witnessing a titanic struggle.

_You can do it, Aang, _she threw at him mentally, wishing that she could lend her belief in him as tangible assistance, wishing that she'd told him earlier how much he meant to her. _I love you_.

Just when it seemed the red light would eclipse the blue entirely, the blue light resurfaced, gaining ground. First, it coated Aang with its radiance, then Ozai. Once the Firelord was completely overcome, the light faded, and both figures slumped.

"Katara!"

Shaking herself, Katara turned to find her brother waving at her from the airship. When it came close enough, she jumped onto the deck, hugging him.

"I'm really proud of you, Katara," he told her. "You didn't try to interfere with Aang." Katara pulled away, perplexed.

"Why would I interfere?" she asked. "That was Aang's job." It had been her job to support him, and she knew she hadn't always done that in all the ways she could. That was going to change right now, and she only hoped it wasn't too late.

Feeling an even mixture of elation and nervousness, Katara looked determinedly toward the Avatar she loved as she drew ever closer.

--

Author's Note: I'm not writing the reunion because I already jumped ahead and did that in After the Battle. So if you want a sense of completion, go back and read that chapter.:) I think this combination of characters really plays to everyone's strengths, and Sokka probably would not have been injured or lost his weapons if he hadn't had to save Toph. The last bit about someone commenting that Katara didn't get in the way of Aang's fight was my husband's suggestion.

Review responses:

airnaruto45: It would depend on the composition of the stone. Things like limestone and quartz won't conduct electricity, but if the rock contains a lot of metal-based minerals (mica, basalt), it will. Even so, it wouldn't be a very efficient conductor and would seek ground before a person.

Olaf74: Thank you very much. I've been very busy, but I wrote this as quickly as I could.

Shinobi Bender: Thank you. I hope you also enjoyed this complement to the prior chapter.

arizony: I made you wait some, but I hope this fulfilled your expectations. Now if I could only find someone to animate it for me….

-hawk's.I-: I suppose my idea started with the incomprehensibility of Katara unhesitatingly agreeing to go with Zuko. As I thought about alternatives, Toph seemed like the best option because of her earthbending, and it had the side benefit of finally giving Toph her trip with Zuko. It provides a symmetry that the show did not.

growabrain: I agree. Toph was the first to be willing to accept Zuko, so there should have been more rapport between them. I would have preferred a Toko romance to the Zutara hints the show seemed to give at the end.

DuHSPaZZiNGFeL: You got your wish. I hope you enjoyed it. It was much more involved than the Toph/Azula fight because Katara was facing larger odds.

Katsumara: At least you're consistent. That hasn't been the case for most people who disagree with me. It could be argued, as I imply here, that Sokka would not have been so vulnerable if Toph hadn't been there and in need of protection because of her blindness.


	15. Chapter 15: Distraction

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: This is in response to all the people who insist that Katara's presence in the final battle would have been too distracting to Aang. Here's what I think real distraction would look like.

**Distraction**

Aang huddled beneath an overhang, catching a moment's rest before Ozai found him again. He needed to reassess his strategy, but he wasn't sure he'd have time. What he _really _needed was the Avatar State, but since he was blocked off from that, he had to do the best he could.

The airships caught his attention, and he noticed that two of them were faltering. Looking more closely, he saw Sokka and Suki emerging on top of one of them. Sokka helped Toph out, and they made their way to the next ship to take it out. It made Aang feel better to know he had support. Only…

Only where was Katara?

The stone above Aang exploded, and he was engaged in his fight once more. He tossed air blasts, rocks, and fire, but his thoughts were somewhere below. He hopped from one rocky outcrop to another, trying to get lower. Surely Katara would be near the sea, taking advantage of the vast amount of water. He used it some himself, as he evaded Ozai's fire and lightning. However, while he scanned the surface of the ocean, he saw only the movement of the waves, the reflections of the battle, and the evidence of his own waterbending.

Something must have happened to her, Aang thought with rising panic. She had to be dead or hurt or…or _something_. Nothing else he could think of could have kept Katara from this place at this time. He was sparing less and less of his attention on his opponent and more on his concerns for the first friend he'd made since emerging from the iceberg, who also happened to be his first love.

He turned around just in time to see the lightning strike his chest. He was too late to avoid the hit or even re-direct its energy. He stared at the spot in disbelief, wondering how it was possible that a shot to his heart should kill him when his heart, his love, his Katara, was already gone.

And Avatar Aang, the last airbender, breathed his last.

--

Author's Note: I'm really sorry about the angst here, but I thought this was authentically the way Aang would have reacted if he had noticed, while fighting, that his other longtime companions were there but Katara was not. It would be one thing if he'd asked Katara to stay away, but that didn't happen. I promise I won't end this collection here!

Review responses:

DuHSPaZZiNGFeL: Thank you so much! I'm sure this one didn't get you so excited.

Shinobi Bender: Thanks, I plan to.

arizony: My husband often tells me he's jealous of my ability to write. I think a lot of it is talent, but some aspects can be learned. I always say that the best way to become a good writer is to read a lot from authors you like. Good luck with improving your skills!

Aryck1095: Yeah, and not in a good way. The second half of Fire gave me the feeling that the show got a whole new crop of writers who didn't know the characters at all. Nothing seemed to fit very well with the story that had already been told.

All-Hail-Lord-Zaang: I don't know how much like Suki I am, but he does like jerky. Never tried seal, however. Thank you for reading!

AuroraandRosalieWannabe: Well, obviously, I agree. The way the groups in the finale were arranged seemed to put several characters at a disadvantage rather than playing to their strengths.

growabrain: Thank you. Another thing I wanted to see in the finale was some indication that Katara and Aang were thinking about each other during their battles.

airnaruto45: Yes, only more smoothly and with fewer injuries.

nutshak: Thanks. I guess I wanted to prove that it could be done.

-hawk's.I-: I'm glad you appreciate my battle scenes. I've been told it's the one thing I need to work on. I spend a great deal of time visualizing the scene and trying to write it so that the readers can see it as clearly as I can.

Marisol Maza: I could still wish the show itself had elaborated on Katara's character and her feelings for Aang, but I guess it gives me something to do with my spare time.


	16. Chapter 16: Move Over, Zuko

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: I had been thinking about doing an entire story where I re-wrote Ember Island Players, but the play would have been the same; I only wanted to change a few of the character interactions in response. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn't have enough material to merit an entire story, so I'm doing a sequence of alternate scenes here instead. Besides, I'm sure everyone needed something lighter after the last chapter.

**Move Over, Zuko**

"I wanted to sit there," Aang complained to Zuko, hating how plaintive he sounded. He'd had so little time with Katara lately; why did Zuko have to take this opportunity away from him, too?

"What difference does it make?" retorted Zuko, settling himself onto the bench.

"Move over, Zuko," Katara hissed. "Just because I forgave you, it doesn't mean I want to feel like I'm on a date with you." Aang blinked as Zuko tossed her a startled look and grudgingly slid over. Katara gestured for Aang to join her. Was she saying that she _was_ willing to be on a date with Aang?

Taking a deep breath, Aang warned himself not to read too much into this. They'd just been friends for a long time now, so she felt more comfortable beside him. That was probably all it was.

As the theatre darkened, Aang glanced back to see Sokka with his arm draped over Suki's shoulders. Aang considered Katara thoughtfully out of the corner of his eye, wondering if he dared try something like that with her. Maybe during the second act. He relaxed into his seat just as the curtain rose to reveal an icy landscape behind two blue-clad actors in a boat. The play had begun.

--

Author's Note: I think it would have been great for Katara to step in here and say something like this. The whole point of having Zuko and Katara next to each other escaped me, anyway. Was it just so that they could make a point of moving away from each other later? That wasn't until the second act, so they could easily have rearranged during the first intermission.

Review responses:

DuHSPaZZiNGFeL: I completely agree.

samtana: That's exactly my point. There were cases where Katara and Sokka were literally helpless (encased in rock in The King of Omashu and paralyzed in Bato, of the Water Tribe) when Aang got involved in a battle, and I think he did some of his best fighting then.

my trancey inspiration: No kidding! I would have gone for that deal, maybe even without pay! As for the age thing, I was a pretty serious and down-to-earth 12-year-old, so I think it's a matter of individual personality and the situation you find yourself in.

Shinobi Bender: You mean, you had a problem with Aang not showing any concern for Katara in the finale? Yes, I agree. It would have been nice to see an indication that they actually cared about each other before they abruptly began making out.

kataanger18: Believe me, I didn't want to kill Aang off, but I thought it more likely in this situation than if Katara had been backing him up.

AuroraandRosalieWannabe: I know it was extreme, but I felt I had to do that to get my point across. I'm glad you like the story.

growabrain: I didn't think Aang saw them at all, which is why I think the idea of Katara being a distraction is moot to begin with, but I think her not being there would have been worse.

Vanille Strawberry: I wouldn't exactly call it a cliffhanger. He died. End of story. I'll bet this chapter was more up your alley, though.


	17. Chapter 17: A Woman?

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Part 2 of my Ember Island Players re-write, following Move Over, Zuko. I've decided to have all of the chapters from Aang's point of view. This takes place during the first intermission.

**A Woman?**

"A woman?" Aang exclaimed incredulously, not having gotten over that during the entire first act. At Katara's quelling look, he lowered his voice's volume but not its intensity. "I can't believe I'm being played by a woman!"

"I almost think I'd _rather_ be played by a boy," Katara snorted. "Maybe then they wouldn't have me crying all the time."

"I don't see why you're making such a big deal about it," Zuko drawled to Aang, his arms folded across his chest as he leaned against a stairway. "It's pretty common practice in theatre companies."

"What is?" Aang stared at him blankly.

"Using women to play young boys," Zuko clarified. "It's pretty hard to find a kid the right age who can pull off a major role like this. Your age is the worst, in fact."

"Why's that?"

"Think about it. By the time a boy gets the part down, his voice changes or he has a growth spurt, and he just can't do it believably anymore. That means they have to start the process all over again, which costs time and money. A woman will look pretty much the same for years, maybe even decades with the right makeup, and they're hoping the show runs for a while."

Aang mulled this over. It did make sense, now that he thought about it, although he still wasn't completely comfortable with the idea. Maybe if the actress didn't insist on using her hips so often…

"So you're saying it's hard to be me?" he said finally.

"I thought you'd have figured that out already," Sokka quipped wryly.

"You know, for a prince, you seem to know an awful lot about professional theatre," Suki commented.

"I told you, my mom brought us every year when I was younger," Zuko reminded them, although his cheeks colored just slightly. "I picked up a few things."

"I think it's more than that," countered Toph, grinning. Of course, she had no reason to be upset because her character hadn't appeared in the play yet. "I think you considered running away to be an actor."

Zuko didn't seem inclined to answer, but everyone turned their attention toward him until he could no longer ignore them.

"Like I said, things weren't exactly happy at home," he bit out.

"Hey, I understand," Toph replied, extending her hands in a placating gesture. "I ran away from my parents to join this little party."

"I guess none of us is really in a position to judge," Katara conceded, placing a hand on Aang's shoulder. "We've all left home for one reason or another." Aang looked at her gratefully, realizing that he had still not told anyone but her why he had left the Southern Air Temple.

"You know, maybe it doesn't matter how we look in there," Aang decided, gesturing toward the auditorium. "_We_ know who we are, and that's the important thing."

"Absolutely right," Katara agreed, and everyone else but Zuko nodded after a moment's hesitation.

"Yeah. Right," Zuko muttered just before a gong sounded, indicating that it was almost time for the second act to begin. They all filed back in, more or less willingly.

--

Author's Note: I'm not entirely sure where this came from, but I thought it would be fun for Zuko to have entertained the notion of running off to join a theatre company, similar to the way Ty Lee ran off to join the circus.

Review responses:

DuHSPaZZiNGFeL: Whatever their reasoning, it was stupid and poorly executed.

melissita: I'm doing several chapters along this line. There will be at least one more, but I'm not sure after that.

nutshak: Short with meaning are some of my favorites!

samtana: I understand all that, but there were better and more believable ways to keep Katara and Aang apart. My personal preference would have been for Aang to back off due to the Guru stuff and wanting to protect her, forcing Katara to pursue him. That would have been fun!

Katsumara: Thanks for getting caught up. Yes, I had Katara use the word "date" in the "eww" sense, like the idea is barely more palatable to her than dating her brother.

-hawk's.I.-: Yeah, there was a lot of the third season that needed to be fixed, and I don't know how it got through. My husband thinks they were angling to get a fourth season, which was why they weren't developing Kataang. When that didn't get approved, they just had to throw them together at the end.

Marisol Maza: Katara ignored Aang in this episode and the 4 prior ones. After her behavior toward him in episodes like Serpent's Pass and the beginning of Season 3, it just made no sense.

Shinobi Bender: Thanks!

AuroraandRosalieWannabe: Yeah, I agree. As forceful a character as Katara was during the first two seasons, I didn't understand why she became such a doormat in the third.

growabrain: I really didn't understand why Zuko would shove in to get next to Katara. I mean, if it "didn't matter," as he said, and Aang was clearly next in line, why would he do that? It was just cheap all around.

Vanille Strawberry: No, I don't blame you at all.


	18. Chapter 18: I Can't Do This

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: Part 3 of my Ember Island Players re-write, following Move Over, Zuko and A Woman? I remember seeing someone write something along this line before the episode aired, but I've forgotten who it was. I believe that I would have come up with the starting point on my own, and I'm going a slightly different direction with it.

**I Can't Do This**

Katara made soft gagging noises when the stage version of her began flirting with the actor-Zuko. That was a relief to Aang. It occurred to him while watching this scene that he didn't actually know what had passed between the waterbender and firebender during the time they'd been imprisoned together, although the way Katara had thrown herself at Aang when he'd arrived had indicated that she didn't view him as an interruption of any kind.

A little while later, when Azula appeared on stage to convince Zuko to take her side, Katara suddenly stiffened.

"I can't do this," she muttered.

"What?" asked Aang, quickly running through in his mind what had followed that in their lives.

"I just – I need to get out of here," Katara whispered urgently, standing up. Aang rose wordlessly as well, preceding her as they squeezed past the mildly protesting Zuko. Once out of the theatre, Katara strode past him and found a place along the balcony edge, where she gripped the wood tightly and took in great gulps of the evening air.

"Katara, what's the matter?" demanded Aang with concern. He couldn't remember ever seeing her quite like this.

"I can't watch that again," she replied tightly. "I can't sit there and watch you…die."

Aang fell back a step, stunned. She had never talked about what impact the events in Ba Sing Se had had upon her. He struggled to find the right thing to say.

"It's just a play, Katara," he reminded her softly, placing one hand over hers. "And I didn't die. I'm right here."

"Yes, but – but you could have!" Without warning, tears began spilling down her cheeks. "You have no idea how close it was."

"What do you mean?"

When she spoke, it didn't immediately seem as though she were answering his question.

"Do you want to know what really happened between Zuko and me that day?" she said, staring determinedly outward.

"Only if you want to tell me," Aang answered after a pause. He wasn't completely certain that he wanted to know, and he didn't think it mattered, but he sensed that this was something she needed to say.

"I offered to heal his scar."

"What? How?" That was probably the last thing Aang had expected to hear.

"I wanted to try using the spirit water," Katara explained. She turned away from Aang and leaned against one of the roof supports. "If you hadn't come in right then, I might have done it, and then I wouldn't have had any for you!"

Aang could do nothing but stand there as the enormity of her confession slowly sank in. He wondered how long this had been eating her up, and if that were the reason she had said nothing about their kiss on the day of the eclipse. As people began filtering out of the theatre for the second intermission, he tentatively placed an arm around her shoulders. Touching the bare skin revealed by her Fire Nation disguise made it hard to focus on the conversation, but it would hopefully make them just look like a pair of lovers trying to find a quiet moment. He really should have initiated this sort of thing while she was still wearing the layered Water Tribe clothing.

"Katara, you told me a long time ago that there was no way of knowing how things might have been different if I hadn't run away when I did," he said at last. "I think the same is true for you."

"This is different," she insisted, although she relented enough to lean into him. She gripped her elbows as though she were cold.

"If you'd healed Zuko's scar, that might have been just the thing he needed to decide to fight with us instead of against us, and we might have escaped sooner. The point is, we don't know. Anyway, you _didn't_ use the water for him, and you _did_ save me. We're both here right now. That's what matters."

Katara was silent for a long while. Aang glanced around to see if any of their friends were in evidence, but it looked like none of them were coming outside this time. Even so, he took the opportunity to guide her to a more secluded spot where they'd be less likely to be interrupted.

"I'm sorry," she said finally.

"For what?" he asked, having no idea to what she was referring.

"After you kissed me…I haven't said anything…you must be wondering—"

"No, it's my fault," Aang interrupted. "I shouldn't have surprised you like that."

"Surprise?" Katara nearly snorted. "What surprise? I've known how you feel about me for months."

"You…have?" Aang's mouth had gone dry and his mind blank. He didn't know what it might signify that she had known this big secret and not acted on that knowledge.

"I even thought you were going to tell me you loved me right before you left to see the Guru," she went on as though he had not spoken.

"I was," he managed to croak, heart pounding in his ears.

"If we hadn't been interrupted, I probably would have told you that I loved you, too."

"You would?" Aang was initially elated, but he quickly recognized that she had used the past tense and had not actually said anything like this to him before now. He was afraid to ask the next question, but he felt he had to. "What about now?"

"I…it's complicated."

Complicated? How complicated could it be? Either she loved him or she didn't. It seemed incredibly simple to him. He remained quiet, waiting for her to explain.

"I thought everything was going right," she began. "We were planning a major invasion, you were going to learn how to control the Avatar State, Sokka got to visit Dad, and Toph was going to work things out with her parents. It seemed like you and I would be…moving forward when you came back. Then, everything went horribly wrong. I don't have to tell you all of that, but the worst thing was that I almost lost you. The others don't really understand. They weren't _there. _They didn't have to see…" She took a deep, shuddering breath while Aang stood there in astonishment. He'd had no idea his near-death had affected her so deeply; ever since he woke up, she'd been brushing it aside as though it had been nothing. His instinctive desire to protect her now surfaced.

"Katara, you don't have to—"

"Yes, I do," she contradicted him. "I haven't talked to anyone about how I felt that day, but I think it's time I did." At his slow nod, she continued. "It was terrible. First, you rose up in the Avatar State, and I was so proud. You'd learned to control it, I thought, and there was no way we could lose. Then, Azula shot you from behind, and you fell, but it seemed like a strangely slow fall. I raced to catch you, and I almost didn't make it. Iroh came in as I was wondering what to do next, and he told me to get out of there, so I did.

"When I got up to the surface, I laid you down, and you were gone. You weren't breathing, your heart wasn't beating, and I knew any second some Dai Li might come and find us. Then suddenly Appa was there, and Sokka and Toph spotted him. Once we were flying away, I decided to try the spirit water. All I was thinking was how much I loved you and couldn't let you go. That's horrible, isn't it? I wasn't thinking about what it meant for the world for you to be dead. I was thinking about myself." Her voice broke, and she turned her face into his shirt as she started to cry again.

"No, it's not horrible," Aang whispered, trying to comfort her as best he could. He knew he would have felt exactly the same way if their positions were reversed.

"I haven't been the same since then," she said through her tears. "I think a part of me died that day with you. I've been healing, but slowly. I don't think I could handle going through something like that again."

"I – I'm sorry," Aang said softly. He'd wanted to promise that he wouldn't put her through it again, but the words had stuck in his throat. He knew he couldn't be sure of that, and he hated not being able to give her the certainty she so obviously needed. If only he'd found the Firelord and defeated him on the Day of Black Sun, he could have washed away so many of her fears.

"While you were unconscious, I decided that I couldn't let myself be so close to you," Katara continued. "I thought if I didn't let myself love you anymore, I could protect myself. I told myself that we'd have plenty of time after the war, if we both survived."

"I guess that makes sense," he replied reluctantly. He loved her, and it would be really nice to truly share that with her. He already felt like he'd been waiting forever, but if a little more time was what she needed, he would give it to her. He would give her anything.

"That dance in the cave was really hard," she confessed. "My decision didn't seem so smart, and if the party hadn't been interrupted, I think I would have changed my mind. Then you kissed me, and…I know it's stupid, but I felt like you'd broken the rules, even though I hadn't told you what they were. After that…well, after that, it was just too easy to find excuses not to talk about us."

"So what do you want from me now?" asked Aang, trying to be patient. He honestly couldn't see where she was going with this, and he needed some direction from her.

"This," she said simply. "Talking, like we used to. Holding each other. Being together."

"Okay, I'm confused. Do you mean, _together_ together, or like friends together?"

"Together together." She raised her face to him, raising a hand to wipe her face before wrapping her arms around his waist. "The truth is, I've been lying. I've lied to you, and I've lied to myself. I never really stopped loving you; I just hid it down deep inside me. But love is strong, and it kept trying to bubble back up. I tried to blame my father, I tried to blame Zuko, I blamed everyone for the fact that I was falling apart, but none of that was true or right. It was my fault all the time."

"I don't want to hurt you," Aang said slowly, his mind working feverishly to keep up. It sounded like she was actually saying she loved him and wanted to be with him. "I love you. I think I always have." Even not knowing what her answer would be, it was a relief to finally tell her. Katara smiled at last, making Aang feel like the sun had come out in the middle of the night.

"I'm not me without loving you, and I can't live like that anymore. Aang, I love you, and I want to be with you for as long as you'll put up with me." With that, she leaned forward and kissed him firmly. When she released him, Aang finally allowed himself to smile. Whatever the future would bring, whatever dangers yet awaited them, he had this, and he fully intended to keep it.

"I hope you're comfortable," he remarked, pulling her as close as he dared and closing his eyes. "I plan to hold onto you forever."

"That could get awkward," she giggled, intentionally taking him literally. "What about the third act?"

"I don't need to see it. Do you want to?"

"Not really."

So they remained there, ignoring equally the sounds that were summoning them back to the theatre and the people who were flocking back to find out how the story ended. Katara and Aang, unconcerned, were writing their own finale.

--

Author's Note: Readers have asked me to do more to re-write the episode, but really, do you need more than this? I decided I liked the idea of switching it up so that Katara took the play too seriously and Aang reminded her that it wasn't real. After all, he's more worldly and more likely to be familiar with the theatre concept. Also, why did Katara react when Azula defeated Zuko at the end of the play, but we saw no reaction from her at watching Aang almost die, something she'd actually lived through?

Review responses:

Amira Elizabeth: Yes, Aang definitely needs some more dignity to round out the series (hopefully, the live action movies will fix a lot of the shortcomings), and I agree with you completely. I think this is the capstone of this collection, and I don't even know if I'll need to continue after this.

samtana: I guess I didn't see it so much as sexism as Aang feeling that his masculinity was being challenged. Boys his age can be very insecure, and he might have also felt that being portrayed by a woman on the stage put Katara even further out of his reach.

Katsumara: Well, we already know he'd be a great tragic hero.

-hawk's.I.-: It's certainly true that my brain works differently than most people's, for good or ill. I'm glad you enjoy the results!

Shinobi Bender: Yes, I agree, but Zuko would also be a good straight man in comedies. It's a role he often filled on the show.

AuroraandRosalieWannabe: You might be right, and it could also be an extreme way of showing that the Katara/Aang relationship couldn't possibly work.

All-Hail-Lord-Zaang: Thank you, but I don't think it's enough story to be on its own.

growabrain: It's not really a matter of hints. Aang was there first, so there was no earthly reason for Zuko not to let him sit down first. For him to instead charge in front of Aang to sit beside Katara implies intent, especially when he insisted on staying there. If it really didn't matter, why not just move over?

Vanille Strawberry: There might be other explanations, of course, but there are lots of opera examples where a boy on the verge of adolescence is played by a mezzo-soprano – that is, an adult woman. To add to the humor, the boy is occasionally dressed as a girl (The Marriage of Figaro, for example).

SilverKyo: Sorry you were grounded. Someone told me EIP was an extra episode added when Nickelodeon agreed to let the third season be 21 episodes. My first thought was, "Why?"


	19. Chapter 19: Hold Me in Your Arms

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Author's Note: It's hard to believe I haven't updated this collection in more than two years, but here I am again. This is based on the Brad Paisley song, "Hold Me in Your Arms (And Let Me Fall)." It's amazing how many Brad Paisley songs work with the Kataang ship, and I may be back with more eventually. However, due to the fact that this particular song has very few unique words, I decided not to make it an actual songfic. Instead, if you are curious, I've typed in the lyrics at the end of the story (with grammatical revisions, just because I'm picky that way).

Once again, I decided to place this during Ember Island Players. I hate to sound like a broken record, and I did consider dropping it in a couple of other sections of the series, but this seemed to work the best while causing the smallest amount of disruption to canon.

**Hold Me in Your Arms**

Upset, Aang walked out of the play while the actors playing Katara and Zuko had their conversation in the cave. If he heard Katara refer to him as a brother one more time, he thought he would scream. It made matters worse that he was afraid the Ember Island Players' interpretation wasn't too far off the mark. Katara hadn't said a word about their kiss before the eclipse. What was he supposed to make of that? He'd been willing to give her some time and space, considering that she'd lost her father that day to Fire Nation captivity. Then there'd been the chaos of Zuko finding their group and asking – begging, really – to join them, and he'd spent a lot of time teaching Aang firebending since then.

Still, it had been weeks now, and there had been plenty of down time which could have been used to explore their relationship. If she hadn't approached it, didn't it imply that she didn't want to? Sighing, he steeled himself to return for the third act. The second had to be almost over, so there was no point going back in now, especially when he didn't quite feel in control of himself yet.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there when he heard the soft voice behind him.

"Aang?" It was Katara, and he closed his eyes for a moment while his back was still turned. As much as he'd wished for them to talk, he wasn't sure he was ready to face her right now. "Is something wrong?"

"This _play_ is wrong," he said, turning around and willing himself to just act like the friend he'd always been. Like he didn't want to be more than that.

"I can't argue with you there," she replied, her tone flippant but her eyes showing that she suspected there was something deeper going on. Aang opted to stall while he tried to decide whether he was going to make her pry it out of him.

"It was nice of you to come see how I am," he said. "But I'm fine, really."

"Actually, I didn't just come out to see you," she confessed. "I remembered what happened after Zuko took his sister's side in that battle, and…I just didn't need to see that again, fake or not."

"Oh." There didn't seem to be anything else to say to that. Katara hadn't spoken much about watching Aang die and bringing him back to life again, and it didn't look like she was anxious to talk about it now, either.

"So, why did you leave when _you_ did?" she asked, sounding like she was working very hard at being nonchalant.

"It wasn't…it's just…do you really think of me as a brother?" he blurted out finally, deciding that he just had to know, one way or the other. This fretting about it was pulling him apart. Katara gave a startled laugh.

"Are you kidding?" she retorted incredulously. "One brother is enough. More than enough, some days."

"So…" the obvious question here was, "How do you feel about me?", but Aang found himself oddly reluctant to ask it. Instead, he said something that surprised even him: "Go to dinner with me."

"What?" Katara looked at him strangely, and even he was blinking a little in confusion. Still, now that he'd started on this path, he figured he might as well stay on it and see where it led. That was undoubtedly the nomad in him.

"Dinner, in the village," he clarified, the idea sounding better the more he thought about it. His voice gained in confidence. "Just you and me, two days from now."

"Like a…date?"

"Well, yeah, like a date. Why not? Wouldn't it be nice to just sit and talk over a meal and pretend we're just normal people?"

"But we're not normal people, Aang."

"So what? Can't we act like we are, just for one evening?" At this point, people began emerging from the theatre for the second intermission. Aang edged a little closer to Katara to minimize the chances of their conversation being overheard. After all, using their real names while at a play about them was not the best way to keep a low profile. Katara seemed to tense a little but did not move away.

"Where did this come from?" she inquired.

"I miss you," he told her bluntly. "We don't talk like we used to, and what happened to all of the hugs? It's like…you've been avoiding me." Katara closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

"So, we're going to do this now?" she whispered.

"Do what? What are you talking about?"

"You kissed me. You want to know if it meant anything to me."

"Well, yes. Who wouldn't?"

"I knew this was coming, but I'd hoped we could wait until the war was over." Katara shook her head, looking down at the balcony railing she was grasping.

"Why?" Aang was flummoxed by the direction this conversation was taking. It was a simple question he was asking – wasn't it? Then a possibility occurred to him. He didn't like to think it, but he had to voice it. "Are you saying it would be easier for you to turn me down after I'd done my duty and faced the Firelord? Like you don't want to disappoint me or unbalance me or something? Believe me, I'd be more focused if I just knew now."

"No, Aang, it's not…wait." Katara turned to face him, finally, her eyes full of confusion. "After all of this, you expect me to say no?"

"Well, yeah." Now it was his turn to look away and shrug. "I mean, you're beautiful, and kind, and generous, and incredible. I'm just…you could have anyone."

"But…you're the Avatar."

"And what does that mean in this incarnation except a better chance than most people of getting killed or injured? I can understand why you wouldn't want to saddle yourself with that. Why would any woman?"

"Aang…I had no idea you felt that way." Her voice sounded choked.

"And then, when you completely ignored the fact that we kissed…well, what was I supposed to think?" he continued, almost as if she hadn't spoken. He stopped then, aware that his voice was rising and might draw unwanted attention.

"I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I just…I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll come to dinner." Aang turned toward her again. "I want to know how you feel about me, but I've decided that can wait until after we've had a date. When you need new clothes, you try stuff on, right? Find out what fits? So why not spend a little time alone with me and see if we fit?"

"Oh, Aang. It's never been a question of whether we fit. I know we do." At those words, Aang wanted to be happy, but there was such sadness in her face and voice that he didn't know how to respond.

"Then why aren't we together? I don't understand."

"I know, and that's my fault." She looked down, twisting her hair. "Do you know what I said to Zuko when he first joined us at the Western Air Temple?"

"No," he said, his heart tightening. She'd really seemed to hate Zuko then, but what if she was just covering up for some hidden feelings?

"I told him that I would kill him if he showed any sign of being a threat to you." She raised her eyes to Aang's, half defiant and half reluctant. "I meant it, too. _That's_ how strong my feelings are for you. I'd kill for you, and it scares me."

Aang could only stand there, dumbfounded. Of all of the things he might have imagined her saying, this was not one of them. At first, he wasn't sure how to respond. Then, a series of recollections ran through his mind: the desperate fury he'd felt when he thought the Earth Kingdom general had buried Katara alive; the anger that had filled him when he'd discovered that Appa had been kidnapped; his rage when he'd finally understood that his people had been wiped out.

"I know what you mean," he said finally. She'd been through all of this with him, but feeling that sort of rage inside herself was probably very unsettling.

"You do?" Something about her honest surprise made him chuckle.

"You've been here while I figured out all of this Avatar stuff," he reminded her. "You don't think I understand what it's like to be afraid of your own anger?"

She just stared at him for a moment before managing a weak smile.

"You're right, of course," she agreed. "I just wasn't thinking, I guess." Silence reigned between them for a few more heartbeats. The torches in sconces along the outside of the theatre began to dim, then brighten again, clearly a signal from a firebender to summon the audience back to their seats. Katara and Aang, utterly absorbed in their own drama of the moment, ignored the people that moved around them on their way back inside.

Aang was lost in thought. What had seemed so urgent a moment ago suddenly wasn't anymore. Katara obviously had strong feelings for him and clearly cared about him deeply. Was it love? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe it would be, given time. He found himself thinking back to the synopsis of Roku's life that his predecessor had shown him. Avatar Roku had waited years to win over his true love. Despite the way Aang felt tonight, perhaps it wouldn't kill him to be patient for a few months or even years. He was, after all, barely 13 and probably wouldn't be allowed to marry her for a while yet. There was nothing wrong with a lengthy courtship. He took a deep breath.

"Katara, I love you," he confessed. "I'm sorry if you're not ready to hear that, but I need to say it. It took me a lifetime or more to find you – well, for you to find me, I guess – and I'll wait another lifetime for you if I have to. I'd rather not, but I will. I'd just like to ask for one thing."

"What?" asked Katara in a small voice. She still seemed to be struggling to comprehend his words, but she'd at least responded to the last sentence.

"A hug," he answered simply. Swallowing, she nodded, her eyes bright with unshed tears. They moved together, at first embracing tentatively, then molding together as they relaxed into it. Katara was right; they did fit, perfectly. Aang closed his eyes and inhaled the sweet fragrance of her loose hair, wishing he could kiss her again but knowing it would ruin this delicate balance they'd struck. If the balance was to be tipped again and a new equilibrium found, it would be for her to make it happen. He'd done what he could.

At last, they parted and smiled at one another. Katara wiped the moisture from her eyes, not even bothering to be unobtrusive about it. Aang hated seeing her sad, but he sensed that sadness was not exactly what she was feeling. More like overwhelmed with emotion, and she would probably need to sort that out on her own. As he had, over the past several weeks.

"Aang, I wish—" she began, but he held up a hand to stop her.

"It's okay," he assured her, and it was. He understood a lot of things now, and for the first time in months, he felt truly at peace with himself and the world. He extended a hand to her, and she took it shyly. They walked inside together, their handhold little more than a touch of fingertips, but somehow the more intimate for that.

They would see how the play concluded, but they now knew that their own ending was theirs to write.

_Hold me in your arms,  
Just see how it feels.  
Don't make me wait forever  
Just because you know I will.  
Don't keep me hanging, wishing, waiting,  
Hoping that you'll call.  
Darling, hold me in your arms  
And let me fall._

_You've got reservations;  
Well, darling, so do I,  
But mine are at a restaurant,  
6:30 Friday night.  
I swear you won't regret it  
If you agree to go.  
Just do me one small favor  
Before you tell me no._

_Hold me in your arms,  
Just see how it feels.  
Don't make me wait forever  
Just because you know I will.  
Don't keep me hanging, wishing, waiting,  
Hoping that you'll call.  
Darling, hold me in your arms  
And let me fall._

_When you go out shopping,  
You try on brand new clothes.  
To see if something fits or not,  
There's just one way to know.  
So why's it any different  
When someone asks you out.  
You might as well just try me on  
Before you turn me down._

_Hold me in your arms,  
Just see how it feels.  
Don't make me wait forever  
Just because you know I will.  
Don't keep me hanging, wishing, waiting,  
Hoping that you'll call.  
Darling, hold me in your arms  
And let me fall._

_Yeah, darling, hold me in your arms and let me fall._

Author's Note: That actually turned out to be a lot longer than I expected. I was thinking a few hundred words, maybe a thousand words at the outside. I guess it took me longer to get to my ending than I thought it would. This is a little different angle than I've taken in the past.

Review responses:

Astra-the-Goddess: Thank you for your comments. I really can't think of anything to add to them.

Dionysus101: There's a lot of opportunity for alternate histories and storylines in this world, and I do think it would be interesting to see how things might have changed if Katara had healed Zuko's scar.

Joe: I agree, and thank you.

Raven-Dragonlady84: It struck me as odd that the potential defeat of everybody at the end of the play depressed and shocked the Gaang, yet the death scene that Katara actually witnessed didn't seem to bother her at all. It was Aang who'd left the theatre before getting to that point.

NightStar: Aw, thanks!

Vanille Strawberry: 15 minutes? More like 5 wordless seconds. Completely unsatisfying.

Paladin of Farore: I just never understood why the finale didn't explain why Katara reacted to Aang the way she did at the theatre. Last we knew, she was still confused.

AvatarTwilightObsession: Sorry I didn't come up with any more updates before now. You still out there?

Marisol Maza: Thank you very much! I've been going back and re-reading some of my stories myself, just to feel a little better about the whole series. I'm sure your question was rhetorical, but I'll answer it anyway. No; no, we didn't.:)

True-Romantique: That's okay. It's your prerogative to read the ones you want to. Did you ever come back to check out the rest?

nutshak: Well, maybe not quite finished. I always reserve the right to add on to my short story collections.

unpredictable gorilla: Well, thank you very much! Given how many times in the series Katara did throw herself at Aang, that she didn't when it would have made the most sense was just…weird. And yes, if the writers insisted on having her shut him down like that, they should have at least shown her suffering a little during the finale. That she didn't apparently indicated that she didn't really care about him that much, not even as a friend, which seemed to negate most of their interactions in seasons 1 and 2. To this day, I do not understand that decision by the creative team.

The Mad shoe1: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed them!


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